WANG 

THE 

NINTH 


...PUTNAM 
WE  ALE 


359  B 


WANG  THE  NINTH 


BOOKS  BT  THE  AUTHOR 
POLITICAL: 

Manchu  and  Muscovite 

The  Re-Shaping  of  the  Far  East   (2  volumes) 

The  Truce  in  the  East  and  its  Aftermath 

The  Coming  Struggle  in  Eastern  Asia 

The  Conflict  of  Colour 

The  Fight  for  the  Republic  in  China 

The  Truth  about  China  and  Japan 

ROMANTIC: 

Indiscreet  Letters  from  Peking 

The  Forbidden  Boundary 

The  Human  Cobweb 

The  Unknown  God 

The  Romance  of  a  Few  Days 

The  Revolt 

The  Eternal  Priestess 

The  Altar  Fire 

Wang  the  Ninth.     The  Story  of  a  Chinese  Boy 


WANG  THE  NINTH 

THE  STORY  OF  A  CHINESE 
BOY 


BY 

PUTNAM  WE  ALE     & 

o 


NEW  YORK 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

1920 


COPYRIGHT,  1920, 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY,  INC. 


VAIL-BALLOU    COMPANY 

IIH9HANTON  AMD  NSW  YORK 


PREFACE 

This  book  is  a  partial  explanation  of  the  phe- 
nomenon of  China  which  seems  so  strange  when 
curtly  dealt  with  in  the  daily  press. 

It  has  quality  of  being  true  and  should  there- 
fore be  known. 

Peking,  July,  1919 


2139054 


WANG  THE  NINTH 

CHAPTER  I 

WANG  the  Ninth  was  born  a  few  years 
before  the  end  of  the  nineteenth 
century  in  a  village  called  prosa- 
ically in  the  vernacular  Ten  Li  Hamlet  because 
it  lay  ten  li  or  Chinese  miles  from  the  great  im- 
perial highway.  He  was  the  eighth  child;  that 
was  why,  according  to  immemorial  custom,  he 
was  called  the  Ninth,  since  the  numeral  eight 
added  to  his  patronymic  signified  that  opprobri- 
ous epithet  term  "  tortoise,"  a  nickname  which 
no  Chinese  could  survive.  When  he  was  little 
more  than  three  and  scarcely  weaned  (for  the 
children  of  this  land  are  suckled  until  they  can 
run)  he  was  unceremoniously  put  on  a  creaking 
wheelbarrow  and  trundled  off  into  the  unknown. 
This  inconsequential  hegira  was  the  begin- 
ning of  his  great  adventures, —  and  was  the 
natural  aftermath  of  a  curiously  swift  tragedy 

in    an    environment    saturated    with    inaction. 

i 


2  WANG   THE    NINTH 

Famine  had  suddenly  descended  on  Ten  Li 
Hamlet,  and  his  brothers  and  sisters,  having 
been  leased  or  sold  one  after  another  to  neigh- 
bours (you  can  use  whichever  expression  you 
like),  he  and  his  father  had  become  the  last  sur- 
vivors in  a  disrupted  family.  For  his  mother, 
too,  had  tired  of  privation.  She  had  sat 
ominously  quiet  for  one  whole  week  and  had 
then  slipped  away  with  a  travelling  blacksmith, 
who  had  been  working  for  a  season  not  fifty  feet 
from  the  family  home  of  mud-bricks  and  who 
disappeared  as  he  had  come  —  like  a  wraith  in 
the  night. 

It  was  this  which  had  been  the  last  straw  for 
the  father  —  not  the  hunger.  For,  he,  too,  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade.  Added  to  the  shame  in 
his  bosom  for  the  beggarly  condition  to  which 
he  had  been  reduced,  there  had  come  a  volcanic 
outburst  of  hurt  professional  pride.  He  was 
totally  unable  to  reconcile  himself  to  the  idea 
that  he  had  been  abandoned  in  favour  of  another 
such  as  he  —  and  for  no  better  reason  that  there 
was  want  in  the  land.  For  there  was  always 
want ;  never  could  he  remember  a  time  when  the 
people  were  not  a-hungering,  marching  through 


WANG    THE   NINTH  3 

the  country  in  ragged  bands,  and  spreading  dis- 
may wherever  they  camped. 

So  one  dawn  he  had  sullenly  dragged  out  two 
baskets,  put  his  last  child  into  one,  thrown  on 
top  of  him  some  spare  clothing,  placed  his  few 
pots  and  pans  and  the  implements  of  his  trade 
(including  the  unwieldy  bellows)  in  the  other, 
and  had  marched  down  the  rutted  village  road 
shouting  curses  on  every  one  and  declaring  that 
he  was  shaking  the  dust  of  the  poverty-stricken 
place  for  ever  off  his  feet. 

Thus  had  he  gone  angrily  and  vigorously,  full 
of  resolution,  until  he  had  covered  the  ten  li 
which  separated  the  village  from  the  great  high- 
way. Then,  when  he  had  seen  the  broad  road 
leading  to  the  capital,  and  the  carts  and  the 
travellers  in  their  handsome  clothing,  and  the 
long  camel-trains  with  their  rich  loads  of  mer- 
chandise, a  sense  of  unfamiliarity  and  loneliness 
had  suddenly  overwhelmed  him,  and  he  had  sat 
down  and  wept  loudly  and  unrestrainedly  in  the 
manner  all  Chinese  will  do. 

Nobody  had  minded  his  weeping  —  not  even 
the  child  in  the  basket  who  continued  to  sleep 
calmly  and  impassively,  its  pinched  face  turned 


4  WANG    THE    NINTH 

in  the  direction  of  Heaven.  Why  indeed  should 
any  one  mind?  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
there  was  nothing  but  brown  country  —  the 
great  Northern  plains  stretched  into  infinity  and 
looked  upon  this  evanescent  emotion  much  as  the 
Sphinx  surveys  the  shifting  desert  sands.  A 
little  while  you  may  weep,  a  little  while  you  may 
laugh,  they  seemed  to  say ;  then  the  great  silence 
which  covers  us  all.  .  .  . 

So  presently  the  man  had  stopped  and  become 
angry  once  more.  He  rose  to  his  feet,  tightened 
his  cord  belt,  and  smearing  the  tears  from 
Ms  seamed  face,  surveyed  the  world  indiffer- 
ently. Somehow  he  would  discover  a  brighter 
future. 

In  the  basket  the  child  lay  in  peace.  The  ris- 
ing sun  pushed  golden  fingers  through  the  bam- 
boo-work as  if  to  caress  its  innocence.  The 
father  watched  with  eyes  which  saw  and  yet  did 
not  see ;  for  he  was  too  simple  to  know  more  than 
that  a  child  is  a  great  blessing,  a  jewel,  because 
it  is  of  one's  flesh  and  a  kind  of  indefinite  pro- 
longation of  one's  endeavours  to  conquer  the 
devil.  Disaster  had  been  for  him  like  a  huge 
river  in  spate  which  had  rushed  down  on  him  and 


WANG    THE    NINTH  5 

left  him  marooned  on  a  tiny  rocking  island  in 
the  very  centre.  Now  he  saw  a  causeway  mys- 
teriously growing  out  of  these  dread  waters :  and 
in  his  vague  fancies  he  associated  this  with  the 
presence  of  his  child. 

Presently  as  he  sat  gazing  there  was  a  thin 
cry.  The  little  legs  kicked  with  vigour,  and  the 
arms  with  their  clenched  fists  sought  to  throw 
off  the  clothing. 

"Bo-bo,,"  wailed  the  eighth  child  who  was 
called  the  Ninth,  now  thoroughly  awake.  "  I  am 
hungry.  Give  me  to  eat." 

"  Wait,"  said  the  father  roughly  yet  kindly, 
brought  back  from  his  dreams.  "  Soon  you  shall 
eat." 

He  conjured  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  other 
basket  a  big  bowl  half  full  of  a  sort  of  porridge 
made  from  little  millet,  which  was  cold  and  dis- 
tasteful but  which  was  all  that  he  had.  It  was 
the  work  of  a  few  minutes  to  light  the  tiny  port- 
able whiteclay  stove  which  he  had  included  in 
his  salvage  and  which  even  the  poorest  in  the 
land  always  possess.  Soon  his  cooking  was  done 
and  the  child  was  eating  and  had  become  con- 
tent. 


6  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"  Ba-la,"  it  lisped  again,  struggling  to  get  up. 
"  Where  do  we  go?  " 

"  To  the  city,"  grumbled  the  father,  beginning 
to  pack  up  again.  "  To  the  city.  Stay  quiet. 
We  have  far  to  go." 

Already  he  was  off,  trundling  the  wheelbarrow 
and  still  eating  as  he  walked.  The  sun  rose 
higher  and  higher  and  perspiration  beaded  his 
forehead,  but  now  there  was  no  question  of  turn- 
ing back.  He  was  following  the  mysterious 
causeway  which  led  to  his  destiny.  On  and  on 
he  tramped,  pushing  the  creaking  wheelbarrow 
through  the  chasm  of  space  and  sometimes  ex- 
changing remarks  with  the  passing  muleteers 
and  camel-drivers.  Traffic  was  growing  heavier 
as  the  city  was  approached  and  a  veil  of  dust 
hung  in  the  air.  The  highway  was  strung  across 
the  plain  like  a  great  frayed  rope,  which  some- 
times tightened  to  a  rigid  straight  line,  and  some- 
times was  all  knots  and  twists  invented  to  dis- 
may those  who  were  weary  and  ill  at  ease. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day  the  man  lay  down 
and  slept  under  a  tree;  but  ere  two  hours  had 
passed  he  was  up  again  and  pressing  on. 

The  sun  flared  out ;  the  stars  twinkled  brightly 


WANG    THE    NINTH  7 

in  the  skies;  and  still  he  did  not  stop.  Hardy 
as  only  a  peasantry  can  be  who  know  no  comforts, 
he  pressed  on  tirelessly  —  determined  to  reach 
his  objective.  The  creaking  wheel  was  a  verita- 
ble lullaby  to  the  child  who  slept  as  peacefully  as 
if  in  its  mother's  arms,  hardly  stirring  in  spite  of 
the  bumping,  always  stretched  motionless  on  its 
little  back. 

On  and  on  in  the  darkness,  one  hour,  two 
hours,  three  hours,  four.  Then  at  last  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  when  full  forty  miles  had 
been  covered,  a  low  blaze  of  lights  and  the  shadow 
of  a  great  city-wall. 

The  man  stopped  abruptly  and  the  jerk  woke 
up  the  child. 

"  Ba-ba"  came  the  inevitable  cry. 

He  bent  over  it. 

"  The  city,"  he  exclaimed  in  his  rude,  guttural 
voice,  "  would  you  see  the  city?  " 

He  picked  up  his  son  and  holding  him  tightly 
in  his  arms,  pointed  with  one  finger. 

"  There,  you  see  .  .  .  the  lights  and  the  city- 
wall.  Beyond  there  is  a  great  gate  through 
which  one  passes  but  which  is  now  closed." 

The  child  no  longer  fretted:  it  was  staring 


8  WANG    THE    NINTH 

silently,  drinking  in  everything  as  if  its  very  life 
depended  upon  strict  attention.  The  father  felt 
its  little  body  taut  under  the  ragged  blue  clothes. 
Some  new  impulse  possessed  it.  It  leaned  to- 
wards the  city,  as  if  a  mysterious  force  were 
pulling. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say?  "  inquired  the  father 
at  last,  feeling  the  need  for  a  little  talk. 

"It  is  good,"  said  the  child  very  gravely,  as 
only  a  very  old  nation  can  speak.  "  It  is  good," 
it  repeated,  nodding  its  head  after  the  manner 
of  its  elders  — "  We  shall  find  food." 

Then  it  sank  back  content  on  the  straw  in  the 
basket,  and  the  father  seizing  the  handles  of  the 
wheelbarrow  pushed  clumsily  on. 


CHAPTER  II 

IN  the  morning  the  unaccustomed  roar  and 
noise  of  the  city  gate  woke  up  the  sleeping 
child.     No  comforting  father's  voice,  how- 
ever, answered  its  first  stirrings  and  cries;  so 
after  a  while  the  philosophic  instinct  of  the  race 
asserted  itself  and  the  boy  lay  quiet,  his  aston- 
ished eyes  taking  in  everything  around  him. 

In  the  small  bare  room  there  was  no  living 
thing  save  a  cat  of  nondescript  colour  sitting  on 
a  box  and  licking  its  paws.  The  broken  paper 
depending  from  the  lattice-work  of  the  windows, 
however,  flapped  to  and  fro  cheerfully  and 
briskly;  and  the  rising  sun  which  was  peeping 
through  the  gaps  in  the  paper  seemed  ready  to 
invade  the  whole  room.  In  one  corner  were  the 
two  baskets  and  the  litter  of  blacksmith's  tools 
which  had  travelled  so  far.  Close  by  was  a  huge 
primitive  musket  and  a  belt  stuffed  full  of  the 
formidable  cartridges  of  a  forgotten  period. 
But  the  wheelbarrow  had  vanished  and  so  had 
the  father. 

9 


10  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Staring  blankly  at  all  this — particularly  at 
the  colossal  firearm  —  the  child  finally  half- 
rolled  and  half-tumbled  to  the  earthen  floor  from 
the  low  k'ang  on  which  it  had  been  put  to  sleep 
the  night  before  and  began  tottering  towards  the 
door. 

This  it  managed  to  open.  Then  very  fearfully 
it  peeped  out  as  if  it  had  opened  a  veritable  Pan- 
dora's box. 

Instead  of  trouble,  however,  the  child  saw  out- 
side a  bare  waste,  and  beyond  many  people  and 
many  carts  passing  endlessly  along  a  raised  road- 
way on  which  were  also  posted  all  sorts  of  ven- 
dors loudly  calling  their  wares.  The  rumble  and 
clatter  of  the  carts,  and  the  cries  of  the  vendors 
never  ceased:  they  seemed  a  veritable  brook  of 
life  which  went  on  for  ever.  Enchanted  by  this 
animation  little  Wang  remained  stockstill,  won- 
dering what  would  happen  next.  Curiosity  con- 
sumed him :  he  observed  every  detail  with  powers 
of  observation  only  given  to  the  exceptional. 
There  was  nothing  that  escaped  his  quick,  tire- 
less black  eyes.  What  a  wonderful  world  he  had 
been  brought  to ! 

Presently  an  old   man  carrying  a  portable 


WANG    THE    NINTH  11 

kitchen  on  a  pole  stopped  quite  close  by ;  and  de- 
positing his  paraphernalia  started  advertising 
what  he  had  for  sale  in  a  thin  raucous  voice, 
pitting  one  finger  into  an  ear  as  he  called  so  as 
to  sense  the  quality  of  his  tune  from  the  vibra- 
tions. Children  and  women  came  slowly  out  of 
neighbouring  houses ;  then,  after  a  pause,  one  or 
two  decided  to  eat  and  edged  up  to  the  old  man 
with  money  in  their  hands. 

Little  Wang,  nothing  loth,  cautiously  joined 
them.  He  was  so  small  that  he  stood  there  for 
a  long  time  totally  unobserved,  looking  at  each 
disappearing  mouthful  with  envious  eyes,  and 
wondering  what  he  should  do  to  be  fed  like  these 
lucky  ones.  Presently  the  old  man,  having  fin- 
ished his  work,  turned  to  him. 

"And  you?"  he  inquired  in  a  matter-of-fact 
way,  treating  the  child  as  if  he  were  a  grown-up. 

"  I,  too,  am  hungry,"  announced  little  Wang 
gravely. 

At  this  everybody  laughed  spontaneously  as  if 
something  very  writty  had  been  said ;  but  the  child 
only  stood  there  frowning,  showing  traces  of  the 
resolute  character  which  so  quickly  developed 
by  not  flinching  at  an  inch. 


12  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  You  are  hungry !  "  echoed  the  old  man  quiz- 
zically, "  well,  well  —  that  is  as  it  should  be. 
When  one  is  small  it  is  always  so :  only  with  age 
does  the  appetite  lessen.  And  where  is  the 
money  your  mother  gave  you  that  I  may  feed 
you?" 

Little  Wang  shook  his  head. 

"  I  have  no  money  and  no  mother,"  he  replied. 
Then  gaining  courage  he  added  brusquely. 
"  But  give  me  to  eat?  " 

He  held  out  a  hand,  watching  the  vendor  nar- 
rowly, i 

"  Oh,  oh,"  laughed  the  old  man,  "  you  would 
eat  free!  Things  are  indeed  coming  to  a  pass 
when  I  who  am  poor  beyond  estimate  am  forced 
to  feed  all  who  come  near  me.  .  .  .  Still  here  — 
With  a  flourish  of  his  big  copper  ladle  he  dipped 
very  deeply  into  his  cauldron,  as  if  generous 
feelings  possessed  him,  bringing  out  notwith- 
standing the  smallest  possible  amount  of  his 
hot  mess  by  means  of  a  quick  turn  of  the 
handle.  Then  he  partly  filled  a  small  coarse 
bowl,  passing  it  to  the  child  with  the  manner 
of  the  tradesman.  Long  experience  had  taught 
him  that  the  farthing  owed  him  would  come 


WANG    THE    NINTH  13 

back  to  him  soon  enough, —  with  much  interest. 

"  Well,  is  it  good?  "  he  remarked  approvingly 
when  the  sturdy  child  had  swallowed  down  every 
drop  with  wolfish  rapidity.  "  I  see  you  could 
eat  more.  But  I  must  have  my  money  first.  I, 
too,  live  from  day  to  day."  He  turned  to  the 
others.  "  Whose  child  is  this?  " 

A  woman  with  a  baby  in  her  arms  edged  up: 

"  A  man  arrived,  so  I  have  heard,  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  and  found  a  place  to  sleep  with  one 
of  the  militia.  He  had  a  child  in  a  basket,  it  was 
also  said.  This  must  be  him." 

The  small  boy  stood  there  crossly  twisting  his 
fingers  because  he  was  still  hungry,  and  also  be- 
cause he  hated  being  the  object  of  such  attentions. 
Everybody  was  looking  at  him  now  with  curios- 
ity, wondering  at  his  independence  and  his  lack 
of  fear  and  asking  questions. 

Quickly  he  answered,  hating  to  tell  anything 
and  concealing  much.  Presently,  bending  down 
on  the  ground,  he  began  playing  with  some  little 
stones,  not  paying  any  further  attention  to  the 
scene  around  him.  The  other  children  observed 
his  antics  with  curious  eyes:  this  ugly,  strong, 
tiny  boy,  who  had  appeared  during  the  night  and 


14  WANG   THE    NINTH 

who  seemed  to  belong  to  nobody,  strangely  fas- 
cinated them. 

After  a  long  interval  one  of  them  approached 
him,  and  a  little  timidly  offered  him  a  piece  of 
flour-cake.  Little  Wang  took  it  without  a  word 
of  thanks  and  bolted  it  down  like  a  savage  young 
thing,  resuming  his  playing  as  soon  as  he  had 
finished.  -  Then  another,  not  to  be  outdone,  gave 
him  a  little  from  his  little  bowl  of  congee,  and 
squatting  down  beside  him  tried  to  talk  to  him 
in  small  baby  words.  The  women  and  the  old 
man  drifted  away,  but  all  the  children  remained 
and  were  joined  by -others,  who  imitated  what  the 
newcomer  was  doing.  Little  Wang  was  making 
a  regular  pattern  on  the  ground  with  his  stones, 
working  out  a  design  from  something  he  had  once 
seen  and  not  forgotten,  so  absorbed  that  he  paid 
no  attention  to  anything  else. 

The  others  continued  to  imitate  him  —  disput- 
ing who  should  have  the  place  next  to  him.  Lit- 
tle Wang,  by  reason  of  that  mysterious  quality 
which  sets  one  man  over  others,  was  already  be- 
ginning to  assert  his  leadership  which  he  soon 
made  legendary  in  the  neighbourhood. 


CHAPTER  III 

WITHIN  three  days  his  father  had  set 
up  a  forge  inside  this  rude  hut  at 
the  city  gate  and  had  commenced 
turning  out  quantities  of  coarse  iron  nails  for  the 
cart  trade.  The  clang  of  his  hammer  sounded 
far  into  the  night,  and  the  child  fell  asleep  to  that 
jarring  music  just  as  he  often  awoke  to  it.  The 
steady  pant  of  the  bellows  —  worked  by  a  small 
boy  who  was  paid  three  farthings  a  day  for  his 
labour  —  and  the  glowing  heat  of  the  charcoal, 
were  as  much  part  of  his  life  as  the  sparrows 
chirping  on  the  waste  outside  the  door.  Very 
early  he  understood  the  trick  of  picking  up  live 
embers  in  his  fingers  as  his  father  often  did:  if 
you  are  quick  that  is  as  easily  done  as  putting 
your  hand  into  ice-cold  water. 

There  was  food  in  plenty,  too;  the  boy  could 
eat  all  day  long,  and  he  grew  stronger  and  big- 
ger almost  visibly.  Not  only  was  there  food  at 
home;  there  was  plenty  to  be  picked  up  along 
every  foot  of  the  stretch  of  highway  leading  to 

15 


16  WANG   THE    NINTH 

the  frowning  battlements  of  the  city.  No  one 
would  begrudge  a  child  a  bite  when  he  announced 
as  calmly  as  little  Wang  always  did  that  he  was 
hungry. 

Soon  he  became  friends  with  fifty  men  who 
gained  their  living  by  peddling  cakes  to  the  tide 
of  traffic  which  endlessly  swept  in  and  out  of  the 
capital.  When  their  baskets  were  sold  out,  it 
was  always  he  whom  they  allowed  to  pick  up  the 
morsels  from  the  bottoms  until  every  crumb  was 
gone.  His  quickness  and  his  wisdom,  in  spite 
of  his  baby  ways,  delighted  a  people  who  see  truth 
in  common-sense. 

Sometimes,  too,  he  found  money  —  those  holed 
coins  of  infinitesimal  value  which  the  people 
used.  He  early  discovered  that  if  he  searched 
carefully  just  beside  the  roadway,  sooner  or  later 
coins  which  had  been  dropped  by  country  bump- 
kins, coming  out  of  the  city  the  worse  for  their 
holiday-making,  would  be  brought  to  light.  He 
soon  evolved  a  system  of  his  own  for  working 
over  the  rutted  roadway  as  a  miner  pans  the 
gravel  of  a  gold-bearing  stream ;  and  whenever  he 
made  a  find  his  joy  and  excitement  were  amaz- 
ing. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  17 

Each  day  and  each  month  taught  him  some- 
thing new.  The  other  children  of  the  city  gate 
were  filled  with  open  admiration  for  everything 
he  did:  he  learnt  so  fast  every  lesson  from  the 
great  Book  of  Life  spread  before  his  eyes  that  he 
grew  apace  in  wisdom.  Always  attentive  and 
observant,  nothing  escaped  him. 

Especially  remarkable  was  his  power  over  ani- 
mals. All  living  things  seemed  to  claim  relation- 
ship with  him,  and  he  never  abused  these  ties. 
Before  he  was  seven  he  knew  how  to  catch  rats 
with  his  bare  hands,  and  how  to  approach  vicious 
camels,  who  if  you  are  not  careful  can  display  a 
savagery  terrifying  to  all  but  their  drivers.  As 
for  birds  he  had  the  strange  power  of  talking  to 
them  until  their  fears  were  gone.  Then,  as 
warily  as  a  cat  he  would  pounce  on  them,  catch- 
ing fledgelings  as  easily  as  a  man  with  a  line  will 
catch  fish. 

Everybody  here  kept  birds  and  trained  them 
to  fly  from  their  tasselled  bird-sticks  into  the  air 
and  catch  grain  and  seeds  cast  up  to  them.  The 
whole  population  gave  itself  up  to  this  sport. 
In  the  summer  evenings  a  stream  of  men  carry- 
ing cages  or  tasselled  sticks,  with  their  birds 


18  WANG   THE    NINTH 

lightly  tied  to  them,  came  out  of  the  city  with 
their  pets,  and  there  were  great  competitions 
with  an  amazing  rivalry  aroused,  particularly  in 
singing  and  grain-catching.  Hooded  falcons, 
with  their  cruel  eyes  looking  sharply  at  every- 
thing, might  also  still  be  seen  in  numbers  in  those 
days;  they  were  carried  by  richly-attired  men 
far  out  into  the  country  where  they  were  cast  at 
sparrows,  the  greatest  zest  being  shown  in  this 
cruel  sport. 

In  such  surroundings  the  boy  never  lacked 
companionship;  every  hour  had  its  adventures, 
just  as  every  season  had  its  especial  delights. 
The  cruel  winters,  with  their  fierce  winds 
brought  ice  and  snow,  but  then  there  was  ice- 
sliding  on  a  frozen  pool  in  which  he  soon  ex- 
celled. Summer,  with  its  blinding  sunlight,  al- 
lowed him  to  run  naked  and  discover  teeming 
life  in  every  stagnant  pond.  He  knew  that  the 
first  thunder-storm  would  magically  turn  the 
whisking  tadpoles  into  croaking  frogs.  And 
after  the  thunder-storms  would  come  the  soft 
rains.  Then,  he  would  sit  hunched  up  singing 
to  himself  a  rude  little  rhyme  which  all  the  chil- 
dren sang  in  imitation  of  the  frogs : 


WANG    THE    NINTH  19 

Qua-qua, 
Chi'rh  Tisia 
Mi'rh  hai  hsia: 
Qua-quo, — 

Which  was  simply : 

"  Today  it  rains,  oh,  frog ; 
Tomorrow  it. will  rain  also." 

Sometimes  he  would  sing  this  so  long  that  he 
would  lull  himself  to  sleep  by  his  music;  and 
waking  up  with  a  start  he  would  find  that  night 
had  come.  .  .  . 

In  cursing,  too,  he  became  royally  proficient. 
Before  he  was  eight  he  could  out-curse  any  camel- 
driver,  often  bringing  a  clumsy  lout  half-asleep 
between  the  humps  of  his  beast  to  the  ground 
frantic  with  rage  at  the  insults  hurled  at  him  for 
no  reason  at  all  by  his  shrill  treble.  His  father 
would  then  beat  him  if  he  happened  to  be  near; 
but  he  was  swift  of  foot  and  very  nimble  —  and 
hard  to  catch. 

Sometimes,  too,  unaccountable  gloom  would 
come  upon  him.  That  was  mainly  because  his 
father,  being  tired  of  work,  would  drink  heated 
wine  in  a  little  pewter  cup  until  he  was  quite 
drunk  and  then  sit  taciturn  day  after  day  only 


20  WANG    THE    NINTH 

bursting  into  words  to  upbraid  his  wife  for  her 
base  desertion  of  him  years  ago.  A  sort  of 
family  loyalty  and  pride  forbade  the  boy  from 
mentioning  this  to  any  one,  although  the  neigh- 
bourhood knew  all  about  it.  Indeed  he  would 
fight  any  one  who  brought  up  the  subject:  one 
day  he  attacked  a  giant  of  a  man,  who  had  made 
some  remarks  about  his  maternity,  biting  him  on 
the  knee  so  badly  that  he  was  picked  up  and 
thrown  fully  fifteen  feet  for  his  pains  and  nearly 
crippled  from  the  experience. 

And  yet  even  that  rude  awakening  never  taught 
him  prudence.  For  the  whole  region  round  the 
city  gate  was  his  domain  and  impelled  him  to 
adventures  and  combats.  There  were  camels 
and  temples  and  fields  and  encampments  of 
armed  men,  and  pilgrims  and  caravans  —  all  the 
primitive  bustle  of  the  fourteenth  century  living 
on  at  the  very  threshold  of  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury and  demanding  his  attention.  Before  he 
was  nine  he  had  seen  a  score  of  men  publicly  ex- 
ecuted by  a  man  in  a  red  coat  with  a  huge  sword, 
and  had  watched  with  strangely  staring  eyes  the 
stricken  heads  roll  in  the  dust.  Everything  that 
happened  was  to  him  a  phenomenon  demanding 


WANG    THE    NINTH  21 

inquiry;  and  on  each  and  everything  he  bestowed 
the  flexible  methods  of  the  empiricist,  thereby 
gaining  in  natural  wisdom.  He  insulted  the 
schoolboys  going  to  school  with  their  school- 
books  under  their  arms,  because  instinctively  he 
believed  that  the  knowledge  they  were  acquiring 
was  only  a  conceit  which  carried  them  away  from 
the  workings  of  nature  around  them ;  he  insulted 
them  in  many  ways  and  with  many  words  until 
one  day  a  youthful  scholar  who  was  tired  of  his 
tirade  turned  on  him  and  called  back :  "  You 
—  do  you  know  what  category  you  belong  to? 
To  the  animals  who  merely  hunger  and  thirst  and 
know  no  books  — " 

It  was  the  ironical  laughter  of  the  passers-by 
which  henceforth  made  him  leave  youthful 
scholarship  alone. 

He  suddenly  realized  that  there  might  be  some- 
thing in  learning. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  circumstances  surrounding  his  first 
meeting  with  foreigners  —  those  white- 
faced  men  and  women  of  western  race 
who  had  been  nicknamed  by  the  common  people 
"  foreign  devils  " —  had  a  tremendous  influence 
on  him. 

From  his  earliest  years  he  could  remember  be- 
ing half-frightened,  half-fascinated  by  the  awe- 
some tales  which  were  current  regarding  their 
strength  and  their  violence  —  and  of  the  dread 
things  they  did  to  children  if  they  fell  into  their 
clutches.  No  mad  whisperings  among  illiterate 
Russian  peasants  leading  to  pogroms  of  the  Jews 
could  surpass  these  insiduous  stories.  Foreign- 
ers, it  was  said,  when  they  wished  powerful  medi- 
cines, took  the  eyes  of  Chinese  children  and  boiled 
them.  They  were  also  reported  to  cut  up  dead 
bodies,  besides  being  willing  to  use  their  knives 
on  the  living  whom  they  put  to  sleep  with  drugs 
and  who  woke  up  to  find  legs  and  arms  miss- 
ing. .  ,  . 

22 


WANG    THE    NINTH  23 

In  this  way  was  the  work  of  hospitals  dis- 
credited—  only  the  very  poor  and  wretched 
dared  to  go  near  them.  The  "  devils "  repre- 
sented a  hideous  force  which  so  exercised  the 
public  mind  that  it  had  been  always  easy  in  the 
past  to  raise  a  riot  against  them  on  the  slightest 
provocation.  Parents  never  failed  to  threaten 
children  who  plagued  them  with  the  declaration 
that  they  would  be  handed  over  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  first  devil  who  was  met  with. 
This  threat  was  worse  than  any  possible  chastise- 
ment. It  instantly  brought  submission. 

Little  Wang  had  caught  a  distant  glimpse  of 
them  several  times  passing  in  and  out  of  the  city 
gate;  but  like  the  other  children  he  had  imme- 
diately run  away  and  hid  himself  until  the  coast 
was  clear.  Once,  when  there  was  no  time  to 
escape,  a  friendly  cake-seller  had  taken  hold  of 
him  and  covered  his  eyes  tightly  with  his  hands 
so  that  "  the  malign  influence  "  should  not  be 
transmitted  to  him  through  his  vision.  That 
action  had  so  fascinated  him  that  he  had  talked 
about  nothing  else  for  days.  He  even  invented 
a  game,  in  which  he  played  the  part  of  the 
foreigner,  and  all  the  children  had  to  protect  one 


24  WANG   THE    NINTH 

another  as  the  cake-seller  had  done  from  his  in- 
fluence when  he  approached. 

Then  had  come  the  amazing  adventure. 

It  was  on  a  summer's  afternoon,  very  late  in 
the  day  when  the  August  sun  is  still  baking  hot 
although  it  is  about  to  set.  All  the  world  was 
drowsy  and  few  were  up  and  about.  Stark- 
naked  and  supremely  happy,  he  had  wandered 
along  the  dusty  highway  into  the  country  until 
he  had  come  to  a  long  irregular  pond,  full  of 
stagnant  water,  with  lilies  growing  in  it,  and 
frogs  croaking  their  everlasting  summer  chorus. 
With  the  aid  of  a  broken  tool  taken  from  his 
father's  forge  he  had  fashioned  rudimentary  boats 
and  filled  them  with  insects  which  tumbled  in  and 
out  and  fought  one  another  and  ended  by  dying 
the  water-death. 

Then,  when  he  had  tired  of  this  sport,  he  had 
chased  the  slow  and  stupid  dragon-flies  with  a 
stick  on  which  was  smeared  bird-line  borrowed 
from  a  neighbour,  catching  more  than  one  by  his 
surprising  quickness.  The  diaphanous  wings 
and  the  long  shapely  bodies  provided  him  with 
new  ideas:  and  with  the  aid  of  some  strands  of 
straw  he  had  made  for  himself  a  crown  of  iri- 


WANG    THE    NINTH  25 

descent  beauty  —  all  shaking  and  moving  with 
these  creatures  which  he  placed  on  his  head,  and 
which  he  thought  entrancing. 

As  the  sun  sank  lower  and  lower,  the  other 
children  had  wandered  home,  shrieked  for  by 
their  mothers  from  the  far  distance  who  waved 
to  them  and  threatened  them  to  secure  obedience. 
And  because  he  had  no  mother  to  call  him,  he 
had  mocked  the  others  and  settled  down  to  play 
alone. 

He  was  sitting  in  the  dust  of  the  highway, 
drawing  patterns  on  the  ground,  with  his  dragon- 
fly crown  still  about  his  ears,  when  the  sound  of 
strange  voices  and  the  stamp  of  hoofs  in  the 
great  silence  made  him  glance  up.  As  he  under- 
stood what  it  was  he  gasped  aloud  in  his  horror. 
For  there  almost  on  top  of  him  —  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  away  —  was  a  huge  foreign-devil, 
with  a  yellow  beard  and  a  great  whip  in  his  hand 
riding  on  a  big  horse ;  and  beside  him  on  another 
horse  was  a  woman-devil,  all  in  white  save 
for  her  hat,  and  a  veil  which  fell  around  her 
neck. 

For  once  in  his  life  his  nimble  wits  entirely 
deserted  him.  He  was  so  stricken  that  he  could 


26  WANG    THE    NINTH 

neither  think  nor  act.  They  had  caught  him  out 
in  the  country  —  completely  alone ;  there  was  not 
a  soul  to  succour  him. 

Overcome  and  already  feeling  the  malign  in- 
fluence striking  down  his  spine,  by  a  supreme  ef- 
fort he  managed  to  wriggle  away  until  he  was 
out  of  their  immediate  way.  But  they  had  seen 
him:  thait  was  enough!  They  were  making 
merry  at  his  discomfiture,  before  they  did  some- 
thing worse.  The  man  was  pointing  at  him,  the 
woman  was  laughing. 

As  he  cowered  in  the  dust  unable  to  move  any 
further,  he  saw  out  of  the  corners  of  his  eyes 
the  foreign-devil  drop  his  hand,  put  it  into  his 
pocket,  pull  it  out  quickly,  and  swing  it  fiercely 
towards  him.  There  was  a  flash  in  the  golden 
sunlight  —  a  blinding  flash.  He  closed  his  eyes 
and  covered  his  head  completely  with  his  arms 
to  meet  the  shock  crushing  the  wriggling  dragon- 
flies  by  this  action.  When  he  opened  them,  he 
was  surprised  to  find  himself  alone  and  alive. 
The  man  and  the  woman  were  trotting  their 
horses  very  fast  and  were  rapidly  becoming 
smaller  in  the  distance.  But  there  on  the 
ground,  almost  at  his  knees,  was  a  bright  object. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  27 

With  one  leap  he  was  on  it  and  had  clutched  it 
in  his  hand. 

It  was  a  piece .  of  silver,  quite  an  immense 
piece,  very  bright  and  new,  worth  he  did  not 
know  how  many  score  of  the  copper-cash. 

Miracle  of  miracles ! 

For  a  moment  he  stood  like  that  turning  the 
coin  over  and  over  in  his  hand,  not  willing  to 
believe  his  good-fortune,  doubting  whether  it  was 
really  his,  biting  it  to  prove  its  worth.  Then, 
as  he  saw  the  figures  on  horse-back  fade  away, 
a  fever  of  excitement  possessed  him  and  he 
dashed  madly  home.  To  every  one  he  met  he 
shouted  the  miracle  which  had  come  to  him,  the 
silver  coin.  A  foreign-devil  had  thrown  it  to 
him,  with  one  sweep  of  the  hand,  like  that !  He 
gave  an  elaborate  pantomime  sa  that  they  should 
precisely  understand  the  setting  and  the  manner 
it  all  had  come  to  pass.  He  let  every  person  feel 
the  coin  and  ring  it  and  bite  it.  It  was  genuine 
beyond  doubt;  a  dozen  told  him  that;  but  re- 
garding its  precise  value  opinions  differed. 

At  last  he  reached  the  doorway  of 'the  parental 
hut.  His  father  was  sitting  there,  still  stripped 
to  the  waist,  cooling  himself  after  his  arduous 


28  WANG    THE    NINTH 

labours,  at  the  forge.  To  him  also  in  excited 
accents  he  'told  exactly  what  had  happened  — 
not  once  but  many  times,  showing  how  he  had 
crouched  in  the  dust,  how  the  coin  had  been 
thrown,  how  he  had  picked  it  up  and  his  im- 
mense surprise. 

A  wondering  crowd  gathered.  He  was  a  hero, 
the  head  and  front  of  all  local  interest.  Nobody 
had  ever  heard  of  a  story  like  that.  The  coin 
passed  from  hand  to  hand,  was  felt  and  appraised 
as  it  had  never  been  appraised  before.  It  was  a 
dollar,  a  silver  dollar.  Then  some  one  offered  to 
exchange  it  —  to  give  full  value  in  copper  cash. 

The  boy  accepted  the  offer.  His  father,  never 
saying  a  word,  sat  there  puffing  at  his  pipe, 
watching  silently  all  the  by-play.  The  boy  was 
finally  handed  a  double-string  of  cash;  over  a 
thousand  coins,  a  veritable  weight  of  wealth 
such  as  he  had  never  felt  before. 

All  evening  he  sat  playing  with  the  double- 
string,  counting  the  coins  to  see  that  he  had  not 
been  defrauded.  He  went  to  sleep  with  the 
money  clutched  across  his  chest,  dreaming  im- 
possible dreams  in  which  wealth  rained  on  him 
in  form  of  silver  dollars. 


CHAPTER  V 

EVER  after  that  incident  the  world 
seemed  different.  The  ugly,  independ- 
ent child,  accustomed  to  the  rigours  of 
the  daily  struggle  for  existence  —  all  the  acerbi- 
ties of  a  life  so  close  to  Nature  that  the  people 
seemed  to  lie  on  our  great  universal  mother's 
very  bosom  —  this  child  understood  in  a  flash 
that  somehow  it  was  not  so  with  everybody. 
There  were  people  who  were  rich;  people  who 
did  not  have  to  toil  and  moil  —  people  who  lived 
in  plenty.  He  himself  had  been  sufficiently 
strong  to  survive  without  trouble;  but  around 
him  were  spiritless  children  for  ever  whining  and 
starving  —  breaking  down  and  dying  before  the 
obstacles  of  life.  This  little  world  of  element- 
ary beings,  living  on  the  tide  of  life  sweeping  in 
and  out  of  the  city  gate,  had  been  his  only  lexi- 
con; now  he  understood  that  there  were  other 
books. 

From  that  day  also  the  vague  background  of 
fear  in  which  foreigners  had  stood  suddenly  dis- 

29 


30  WANG    THE    NINTH 

appeared.     It  was  replaced  by  an  all-consuming 
curiosity. 

He  never  ceased  asking  questions  regarding 
them,  "  the  devils,"  as  he  still  called  them  from 
force  of  habit.  Were  there  many  of  them  in  the 
city  —  how  did  they  live  —  why  had  they  wealth 
—  were  there  no  poor  ones  among  them?  —  these 
were  some  of  the  things  he  asked. 

By  dint  of  questioning,  he  slowly  built  up  a 
sort  of  picture  which  was  still  like  a  dream. 
He  was  told  that  there  were  a  hundred  or  two 
of  them  in  the  city  and  that  they  came  from  over 
the  seas  in  vessels  driven  by  steam,  fire-wheel 
vessels  they  were  called  in  the  vernacular.  He 
learnt  the  expression  without  knowing  what  it 
really  signified,  until  one  day  he  saw  a  rude  na- 
tive print  of  a  sea-battle  being  sold  by  a  pedlar 
who  told  him  that  these  were  illustrations  of  the 
foreign  ships. 

His  interest  was  such  that  he  stood  in  front 
of  the  man  for  ever  so  long.  He  memorized  the 
outlines  so  well  that  he  was  soon  able  to  draw 
in  the  dust  a  fire-wheel  ship  with  a  stone,  which 
was  so  amazingly  accurate  that  a  number  of 
passers-by  commended  him  for  his  talent.  The 


WANG   THE    NINTH  31 

i 

huge  man  with  the  yellow  beard  had  come  on  one 
such  as  these,  he  thought  to  himself;  these  ships 
travelled  hundreds  of  thousands  of  li,  the  pedlar 
had  said.  They  often  consumed  a  year  in  their 
voyages,  and  they  could  slay  enormous  numbers 
of  people  with  their  cannon  which  blazed  forth 
their  wrath  if  any  one  opposed  them.  In  this 
twisted  manner  did  the  story  of  high  sea  navi- 
gation reach  him. 

These  details  delighted  him  and  filled  him  with 
amazement.  The  power  and  novelty  of  it  all  en- 
chained him  and  filled  his  brain.  Sometimes, 
when  he  had  swung  himself  up  into  a  tree  after 
a  bird,  he  would  fall  into  a  day-dream,  and  sit- 
ting astride  of  a  branch,  would  wonder  if  it 
would  not  be  possible  for  him  to  get  closer  to 
these  men  and  their  many  inventions.  He  would 
like  to  see  their  cannon  exploding  in  wrath,  and 
destroying  every  one  so  that  the  waters  were 
filled  with  struggling  beings  as  in  the  pedlar's 
print;  it  would  be  a  spectacle  worthy  of  being 
looked  upon.  Then,  presently,  he  would  turn  his 
thoughts  to  silver  and  to  a  stream  of  coins.  The 
coins  would  come  like  hail  in  his  day-dream,  and 
he  would  pick  them  up  and  buy  everything  that 


32  WANG   THE    NINTH 

his  heart  hungered  for, —  singing-birds  and 
sweetmeats  and  a  cap  with  a  long  red  tassel,  not 
to  speak  of  much  mutton  from  the  Mohammedan 
mutton-shops. 

Once  he  started  out  to  try  and  reach  the 
foreign  quarter  in  the  city ;  but  after  a  few  miles 
the  immensity  of  the  great  capital  frightened  him 
and  he  ran  back  home.  His  father  cursed  him 
for  playing  truant  in  this  way,  saying  ruefully 
to  the  neighbours  as  he  had  already  said  many 
times :  "  This  boy's  courage  is  too  great.  His 
courage  is  a  sad  thing." 

This  censure,  however,  did  not  dishearten  him. 
It  merely  instilled  in  him  greater  caution  and 
redoubled  his  desire  to  carry  out  one  day  his 
great  plan. 

He  was  always  watching  for  foreigners  coming 
out  of  the  city;  whenever  he  detected  one  in  the 
stream  of  traffic  which  was  not  often,  he  would 
follow  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  run.  But  all  the 
neighbourhood  had  heard  of  his  good  fortune, 
and  many  urchins  imitated  him.  The  foreigners 
were  only  irritated  by  these  unaccustomed  at- 
tentions and  instead  of  giving  money  shook  their 
whips  at  the  pack  at  their  heels  and  rode  quickly 


WANG    THE    NINTH  33 

away.  Evidently  there  were  limitations  to  their 
riches,  the  boy  thought,  or  else  their  good-nature 
was  hard  to  reach.  In  any  case  of  silver  dollars 
there  was  never  a  trace.  Perhaps  it  needed 
something  striking  to  attract  their  attention. 

He  reasoned  this  out  by  himself  and  deter- 
mined to  test  it.  He  had  stored  away  in  secret 
hiding-places  various  treasures,  such  as  birds  and 
lizards  and  other  delectable  things;  and  now  he 
set  to  work  making  attractive  receptacles  in 
which  to  place  them.  He  stole  empty  tins  from 
men  who  were  careless,  and  with  the  aid  of  his 
father's  tools  made  numerous  holes  so  that  his 
prey  could  be  put  inside  and  fed  and  properly 
exhibited.  Soon  he  had  a  regular  menagerie, 
properly  housed.  Then  on  the  weekly  holiday, 
on  which  the  foreigners  were  apt  to  come  out  of 
the  city,  he  disappeared  far  down  the  highway, 
going  miles  beyond  the  beat  of  every  child  in  the 
neighbourhood,  until  he  was  lost  in  the  country. 
Alone  with  his  treasures  he  sat  patiently  wait- 
ing. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day  he  saw  the  first  for- 
eigners; they  were  in  hooded  carts,  men  and 
women  together  with  servants  accompanying 


34  WANG    THE    NINTH 

them.  As  soon  as  the  carts  approached  he 
dashed  up,  exhibiting  what  he  had  and  offering 
his  captives  for  sale.  Something  in  his  eager- 
ness and  in  his  strange  wares  evidently  amused 
them.  They  called  to  one  another  laughingly 
and  shook  their  heads.  One  more  generous  than 
the  others  threw  a  handful  of  cash  on  the  ground. 
When  they  had  gone  he  carefully  picked  up 
every  coin  and  counted  them.  It  was  not  won- 
derful as  a  sum  of  money.  Still  it  was  some- 
thing. The  silver  dollar,  however,  remained  un- 
approachable in  its  especial  niche.  .  .  . 


CHAPTER  VI 

ALONG  hard  winter,  with  the  world 
shrouded  in  snow,  served  to  dim  these 
impressions  but  not  to  efface  them. 

Wang  the  Ninth  was  now  no  longer  a  child 
but  a  growing  boy  on  whom  his  father  cast  jeal- 
ous looks  —  as  on  so  much  capital  that  was  not 
bearing  due  interest.  Occasionally  by  dint  of 
blows  and  wrathful  utterances  he  made  the  youth 
work  at  the  forge,  seating  him  at  the  first  glim- 
mering of  dawn  before  the  bellows  and  watching 
him  so  closely  that  there  was  never  a  chance  of 
his  stealing  away  to  indulge  in  his  eternal 
pranks. 

When  the  North  wind  was  blowing,  and  the 
highways  were  bare  of  traffic,  it  was  not  so  bad 
to  sit  at  this  task  and  have  the  blaze  of  the  white- 
hot  embers  warm  him.  Then  the  slow,  regular 
pant  of  the  bellows  fused  with  the  clang  of  ham- 
mer on  the  anvil  and  seemed  to  him  the  very  in- 
carnation of  energy  —  of  a  force  that  drives 
things  along.  The  boy  would  sit  with  his  ugly, 

35 


36  WANG   THE    NINTH 

expressive  face  gazing  straight  in  front  of  him. 
Grasping  the  wooden  handle  of  the  bellows  firmly 
in  both  hands  and  stretching  his  legs  wide  apart, 
he  would  work  mechanically,  lost  in  his  dreams. 
All  sorts  of  things  would  pass  in  procession  be- 
fore the  little  leaping  flames,  the  heat  affording 
him  a  certain  sensual  satisfaction  which  ex- 
pressed itself  in  the  laziness  with  which  he  an- 
swered his  father's  occasional  remarks. 

He  would  dream  that  he  was  lying  on  soft 
cushions  with  all  his  heart's  desires  scattered 
around  him.  He  would  tip  over  piles  of  coins 
and  watch  them  idly  roll  around  too  indifferent 
even  to  pick  them  up.  Barmecide  feasts  of  a 
nature  satisfying  even  to  his  voracious  appetite 
would  rise  before  him  —  mutton  and  roast  ducks 
and  all  manner  of  browned  pork  heaped  on  great 
platters  just  as  they  were  at  the  marriage  feasts 
of  rich  men.  Sometimes  these  fancies  became  so 
real  that  the  saliva  would  trickle  down  his  chin ; 
and  his  father,  noticing  it,  would  inquire  what 
was  the  matter. 

"  I  am  hungry,"  he  would  answer  laconically, 
refusing  to  make  any  confidences  and  returning 
to  his  dreams. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  37 

That  was  when  the  weather  was  bad  and  the 
bitter  North  winds  blew. 

But  when  the  sun  shone,  even  in  cold  winter  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  keep  the  boy  at  his 
task;  he  escaped  by  the  use  of  amazing  strata- 
gems, disappearing  beyond  all  quest  and  only 
returning  when  it  was  dark.  He  would  never 
tell  his  father  where  he  went;  even  a  beating 
would  not  make  him  confess.  Why  should  he 
give  away  his  secrets  —  all  the  wonderful  hid- 
ing-places he  had  discovered,  where  he  went 
with  an  impudence  and  a  cunning  that  were 
sublime? 

He  knew,  for  instance,  by  going  along  the  ice 
of  the  Imperial  Canal,  how  to  slip  under  the  bars 
of  the  magnificent  barge-house  where  the  Im- 
perial barges  were  docked  all  winter.  He  had  at 
first  not  dared  to  do  more  than  peer  in  —  pre- 
tending, when  any  one  appeared  even  in  the  far 
distance,  that  he  had  fallen  down  whilst  indulg- 
ing in  the  delectable  pastime  of  sliding  on  the 
ice  by  means  of  an  iron  runner  fastened  to  one 
foot  as  all  the  boys  in  the  neighbourhood  did. 
But  that  was  in  the  early  stages  of  the  game. 
Soon  he  accustomed  himself  to  pushing  open  im- 


38  WANG   THE    NINTH 

pudently  the  sliding-bars ;  and  then  by  creeping 
right  inside  along  a  narrow  stone  parapet  he 
finally  was  actually  on  the  barges.  There  he 
would  sit  himself  on  the  broad  comfortable  seats, 
and  for  want  of  something  better  to  do  would 
roll  about  on  them  like  a  dog.  Once  he  had 
asked  a  pedlar  friend  what  would  happen  if  any 
one  were  found  inside  the  Imperial  barge-house. 

"  He  would  be  promptly  killed,"  had  answered 
the  man.  "  But  then  nobody  would  dare  such 
folly." 

The  reply  had  set  him  pondering.  Of  course, 
the  guards  might  catch  him  one  day :  he  did  not 
wish  to  be  killed. 

After  the  pedlar's  remark  he  used  always  to 
loiter  past  the  guard-houses  to  see  what  the 
guards  were  doing.  It  was  their  amazing  sloth 
which  led  him  step  by  step  to  complete  indiffer- 
ence. They  were  always  sleeping  or  eating  or 
going  off  into  the  city  leaving  the  youngest  re- 
cruit nominally  on  duty.  Once  he  surprised 
them  all  drunk  as  a  result  of  a  weight-lifting 
contest  with  great  stones,  in  which  the  losers  had 
to  pay  the  forfeit  in  wine.  They  were  lying 


WANG   THENINTH  39 

around  the  guard-house  so  stupefied  that  it  would 
have  been  easy  to  enter  and  rob  them  of  their 
arms! 

One  summer  he  conceived  the  audacious  plan 
of  viewing  from  a  safe  hiding-place  the  whole 
Imperial  Family  as  it  embarked  on  the  barges 
for  the  beautiful  lakes  in  the  Hills.  Every  one 
in  the  neighbourhood  was  talking  about  it:  as 
usual  the  great  ones  wotfld  leave  the  city  in  the 
sixth  month  when  the  great  heat  had  commenced. 
On  such  occasions  every  soul  of  the  common 
herd  was  shut  indoors  to  permit  the  cortege  to 
pass  in  perfect  seclusion.  Blue  cloth  screens 
were  hung  along  the  roadway,  and  although 
many  declared  that  by  putting  their  eyes  to 
cracks  in  their  windows  they  had  caught 
glimpses  of  the  magnificent  sedan-chairs  and  the 
hosts  of  retainers,  not  one  of  them  had  ever 
looked  on  the  face  of  the  great  emperor  or  the 
great  empress. 

By  dint  of  watching  closely,  Wang  the  Ninth 
was  able  to  judge  when  the  fateful  hour  was  fast 
approaching;  for  the  barges  were  being  beau- 
tifully polished  and  were  taken  out  for  exercise 


40  WANG   THE    NINTH 

precisely  as  if  they  had  been  living  things.  It 
was  no  longer  safe  even  to  go  near  them;  the 
guards  had  become  suddenly  diligent  and  would 
not  tolerate  the  slightest  deviation  from  the  fixed 
rules. 

By  entering  into  conversation  with  them  and 
by  running  errands  for  some  of  them,  he  at 
length  discovered  precisely  when  the  great  event 
was  expected.  The  guards  told  him  grumblingly 
that  they  would  have  to  stay  up  all  night  prior 
to  the  arrival  of  the  cortege,  to  prevent  any  mis- 
hap. For  days  he  watched  very  carefully  and 
one  evening  his  vigilance  was  rewarded.  Not 
only  were  the  guards  busy  with  the  boats;  but 
expert  watermen  had  arrived  who  were  engaged 
in  testing  everything  and  who  continually  dis- 
puted regarding  the  division  of  money  which 
was  later  to  be  distributed.  Unless  a  change  of 
plans  was  made  at  the  last  moment  in  two  days' 
time  the  Court  would  come  out  of  the  city.  That 
was  what  he  now  heard. 

During  these  two  days  the  boy  was  in  a  fever 
of  excitement.  He  had  his  plan  all  complete 
but  he  was  not  sure  that  he  would  be  able  to 
execute  it.  On  the  fateful  morn  he  rose  long 


WANG   THE   NINTH  41 

before  dawn  and  softly  unlatching  the  door  stole 
out  as  silently  as  a  cat. 

There  was  no  moon,  and  the  intense  darkness 
disconcerted  him.  In  the  distance,  along  the 
highway,  he  could  hear  the  men  of  the  militia 
patrol  softly  singing  to  themselves  to  keep  away 
spirits.  It  seemed  to  him  that  there  were  many 
more  than  usual:  certainly  they  were  moving 
about  in  a  way  which  was  not  customary  with 
them.  Big  lanterns  showed  the  headquarters 
of  each  post. 

Hugging  the  line  of  houses  he  rapidly  got  be- 
yond the  suburb.  Then,  using  shortcuts  which 
he  knew  as  well  as  any  of  the  wine-smugglers, 
he  finally  reached  the  banks  of  the  Imperial  Oanal. 
He  was  about  a  half-a-mile  from  where  the  barges 
lay  moored  against  the  stone-faced  embarkment. 

Lights  were  moving  about  on  them  and  he 
hugged  himself  for  joy.  There  was  no  doubt 
that  the  start  would  soon  be  made.  Still  the 
most  difficult  part  of  the  business  remained  to 
be  done:  he  had  to  conceal  himself  in  the  most 
complete  manner  conceivable. 

He  waited  patiently,  gnawing  at  a  piece  of 
stale  flour-cake  he  had  carried  with  him,  and 


42  WANG    THE    NINTH 

glancing  repeatedly  towards  the  East  for  the 
first  glimmer  of  dawn.  Like  every  Chinese  peas- 
ant he  could  locate  the  points  of  the  compass  even 
in  the  dark,  and  he  never  lost  his  sense  of  direc- 
tion. 

Presenty  there  was  a  little  light  —  not  much, 
but  enough  to  mark  clearly  the  dim  outlines  of 
the  trees.  He  found  the  one  he  wanted.  Ten 
feet  from  the  water  was  a  half-rotted  tree  trunk 
with  a  hole  big  enough  for  his  head.  He  gath- 
ered some  of  the  reeds  and  rank  grass  and  put 
them  in  a  handy  pile  near  by.  Then  he  dug  up  a 
clot  of  earth  with  a  plant  growing  in  it,  and 
rounded  it  off  so  that  he  could  clap  it  right  on  his 
head.  Having  completed  these  preparations  he 
rehearsed  his  part,  thrusting  his  head  through 
the  hole  in  the  tree4runk  and  putting  the  plant 
and  the  clot  of  earth  on  his  head  and  the  reeds 
on  his  body  so  that  there  should  be  no  mistake. 
He  was  absolutely  satisfied  that  if  he  lay  stone- 
still  and  peeped  through  with  half -shut  eyes  not 
a  soul  could  possibly  discover  him,  even  a  few 
yards  away. 

Dawn  had  now  come  and  round  the  barges  he 
could  see  a  growing  bustle.  Square  marquees  of 


WANG    THE    NINTH  43 

blue  cloth  had  risen  like  mushrooms,  and  horse- 
men were  continually  arriving.  A  cavalry  pa- 
trol unexpectedly  galloped  down  the  roadway  be- 
hind him  and  forced  him  to  conceal  himself  like 
a  frightened  frog  in  his  rotted  tree.  With  his 
eyes  greediy  drinking  in  every  detail,  he  lay  and 
watched.  Twice  he  was  disappointed  in  his 
hopes ;  for  twice  there  had  been  a  mighty  bustle 
but  nothing  had  come  of  it.  But  at  last  when 
the  sun  was  already  high,  a  great  slow  proces- 
sion reached  the  marquees;  and  after  a  long 
pause  one  barge  commenced  moving,  then  a  sec- 
ond, then  many  smaller  boats. 

Along  the  road  came  cavalry.  Now  the 
barges,  steadily  rowed,  began  floating  towards 
him  rhythmically,  cleaving  their  way  through  the 
lotuses  and  the  weeds  which  hung  like  shagreen 
on  the  glassy  surface. 

He  drank  it  all  in  with  awe-struck  eyes,  his 
vast  curiosity  crushing  down  his  fears. 

On  each  barge  were  numbers  of  men  in  red 
tasselled  hats  and  long  official  robes,  standing 
motionless.  These  were  the  court  eunuchs,  he 
was  sure.  Nearer  and  nearer  floated  the  barges 
slowly,  rhythmically.  Now  he  saw  in  through 


44  WANG   THE   NINTH 

the  pale  blue  silk  curtains  of  the  first  glass- 
House.  There  was  a  lonely  figure  inside.  It 
must  be  the  emperor.  It  was  impossible  to  see 
clearly.  But  behind,  in  the  second  barge,  he 
saw  quite  distinctly  an  imperious  elderly  lady 
and  -many  young  ladies  in  beautiful  silks.  That 
was  the  old  Buddha  —  the  Empress  Mother. 
He  had  seen  her  —  he  had  seen  her. 

Slowly,  very  slowly,  like  a  mirage,  the  scene 
faded.  He  lay  entranced,  not  daring  to  move. 
The  blue  marquees  had  been  struck  and  the 
common  people  were  beginning  to  pass  freely 
and  still  he  did  not  move.  That  was  the  Lao  Fo 
—  the  old  Buddha,  the  mighty  Empress  mother ! 

When  he  at  last  went  home,  with  the  mud  of 
the  river-bank  clinging  to  him,  he  told  his  fa- 
ther in  a  matter  of  fact  way  that  he  had  fallen 
into  a  pond,  while  looking  for  something  he  had 
lost. 


CHAPTER  VII 

SOON  after  this  his  father  began  using  him 
to  carry  his  rudely  fashioned  iron-ware 
into  the  city,  where  it  was  handed  over  to 
middlemen  who  scrutinized  every  place  with  the 
eyes  of  hawks  and  who  paid  a  mere  pittance  for 
this  labour  of  sweat  and  tears.  The  boy,  how- 
ever, cared  nothing  for  the  business  details,  al- 
though he  mechanically  cursed  the  rapacity  of 
the  city-bred  as  his  father  did.  He  was  con- 
scious, however,  that  the  middlemen,  in  their 
long  respectable  blue  coats,  were  an  essential 
element  in  the  system  which  held  them  up. 
They  represented  credit.  When  it  was  known 
that  he  and  his  father  were  working  on  a  job 
of  so  many  hundred  iron-nails,  or  so  many 
flanges,  the  neighbourhood  gave  them  credit  for 
the  amount  they  would  earn,  and  they  could  eat 
in  peace.  Each  time  he  carried  a  heavily-laden 
hemp  sack  with  a  completed  order  to  the  middle- 
men, his  father  would  partially  settle  their  local 
debts.  Sometimes  on  the  big  settlement-days 

45 


46  WANG   THE   NINTH 

(which  came  three  times  a  year)  there  would  be 
trouble  and  blows  because  their  accounts  were 
in  arrears.  Then  the  boy  would  avoid  every  one 
and  sit  apart  hanging  his  head,  for  he  vaguely 
knew  that  his  father's  respectability  was  not 
what  it  should  be. 

What  enchanted  him  in  the  city  was  the  free- 
dom and  bustle.  Although  his  errands  were 
within  easy  reach  of  the  city  gate,  he  so  con- 
trived it  that  he  went  far  afield,  running  all  the 
way  home  so  as  to  have  ample  time  to  loaf  and 
stare.  For  a  long  while  the  glamour  of  mingling 
with  the  crowds  and  gazing  into  the  handsome 
shops,  and  watching  craftsmen  at  work  was 
enough  to  keep  him  interested.  He  became 
familiar  with  the  wealth  of  a  city  that  was 
mighty  in  those  days  because  it  drained  the  prov- 
inces and  because  everybody  was  provided 
against  want.  There  were  princes  and 
princesses  abroad  accompanied  by  handsome 
bands  of  retainers,  who  drove  the  common  peo- 
ple off  the  driving-road  as  if  they  were  mere 
carrion  crows.  He  liked  the  insolence  of  their 
manners  which  was  in  keeping  with  his  concep- 
tion of  the  rules  of  a  nation;  and  very  often  he 


WANG   THE    NINTH  47 

ran  alongside  a  great  red-wheeled  princely  cart 
to  show  his  esteem  —  until  he  was  driven  off 
with  a  crack  of  the  whip.  Now  that  he  had  seen 
with  his  own  eyes  the  emperor  and  the  empress 
mother,  he  found  it  only  just  and  reasonable 
that  those  who  were  of  the  blood  royal  should 
act  as  though  the  world  were  their  property. 
That  was  how  he  liked  it:  at  least  there  should 
be  some  who  could  do  as  they  liked  and  to  whom 
riches  meant  nothing  at  all. 

One  day  a  demon  possessed  him  to  go  to  a 
Temple  Fair  which  was  held  every  tenth  day 
of  the  month  and  which  attracted  great  multi- 
tudes of  people.  He  had  always  wanted  to  go 
but  his  father  had  refused  to  give  him  money. 
Now  he  had  the  opportunity.  In  the  noise  and 
excitement  of  that  closely-packed  throng  he 
lost  his  head,  and  after  a  short  mental  struggle 
began  coolly  spending  the  coins  he  had  received 
in  payment  for  his  father's  work.  He  tasted 
sweetmeats  which  brought  tears  of  joy  to  his 
eyes,  and  he  bought  clever  toys  of  bamboo  and 
coloured  paper  which  enchanted  him.  The  lit- 
tle stock  of  copper  cash  was  half-spent  before  he 
realized  what  he  had  done,  and,  at  length, 


48  WANG   THE   NINTH 

stricken  with  alarm,  he  walked  home  slowly  and 
hesitatingly. 

His  father  was  sitting  at  the  door  of  his  hut, 
smoking  and  waiting  for  him  after  his  wont. 
Directly  he  saw  him  his  father  cursed  him  for 
being  so  slow.  The  boy  frowned  hard  as  he 
approached ;  yet  in  spite  of  his  fear  he  dealt  with 
the  matter  with  his  curious  bluntness  and  direct- 
ness. Seating  himself  on  his  heels  he  counted 
out  what  was  left  of  the  money  and  then  heavily 
sighed. 

"  I  have  spent  more  than  half,"  he  announced 
with  grim  resolution.  "  I  wandered  to  the 
Fair,  and  because  there  were  many  things  to  buy 
and  others  had  money  to  spend  I  spent  too." 

His  father  rose  furiousely,  with  a  clumsy 
threatening  gesture. 

"  Whose  money  was  it  you  carried?  "  he  asked. 
"  Whose  money,  I  say?  " 

"  Yours,"  answered  his  son  sullenly  because  he 
was  offended  now.  "  But  I  have  given  you  the 
reason  and  I  will  repay  in  due  course  from  what 
I  earn." 

"  Come  here,"  commanded  the  father,  sweep- 
ing all  his  excuses  aside. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  49 

The  boy  hesitated.  His  father  picked  up  a 
heavy  tool.  The  boy  was  caught  between  a  feel- 
ing of  filial  duty  which  was  intense  and  deep 
among  the  people  and  a  new  feeling  of  inde- 
pendence. 

"  You  would  strike  me  with  that?  "  he  asked, 
frowning  hard. 

"  Come  here,"  shouted  his  father  again,  and 
that  shout  decided  him 

"  No,"  he  said,  folding  his  arms.  "  I  shall  not 
come." 

"  Little  son  of  a  toad,"  shouted  the  infuriated 
man,  rushing  at  him.  "  I  will  teach  you,  I  will 
teach  you." 

He  swung  up  the  heavy  tool,  but  the  boy  dived 
with  amazing  dexterity,  and  then  ran  backwards. 
Again  and  again  the  father  aimed  blows  that 
would  have  murdered  him,  but  always  missed. 
Then  the  growing  crowd  that  had  gathered  flung 
themselves  in  between  the  two  and  held  the  in- 
furiated man  shouting  in  their  arms.  The  fa- 
ther's hysteria  mounted  higher  and  higher :  the 
pent-up  wrong  of  ten  years  ago  surged  out  from 
his  mouth. 

"  Son  of  a  harlot,  come  here,  that  I  may  slay 


50  WANGTHENINTH 

you,"  he  shrieked  at  last,  wrestling  like  a  maniac. 
At  that  the  boy  turned  to  a  deathly  hue, —  under 
his  bronzed  face. 

"  Enough,"  he  cried  thickly,  "  I  came  here 
from  afar  with  you  and  now  I  go  again.  Never 
shall  I  return." 

He  turned  with  a  clumsy  dramatic  gesture; 
looked  round  once  to  see  that  he  was  not  fol- 
lowed, and  then  running  quickly  towards  the 
city  gate  was  lost  in  the  throng. 

The  crowd  released  the  father.  All  talked  vol- 
ubly all  the  time.  This  was  a  business  which 
must  be  amicably  settled.  But  the  father  never 
answered.  He  made  a  hesitating  step  or  two 
like  a  drunken  man,  then  reeled  to  the  door  of  his 
hut  which  he  opened  and  slammed  behind  him. 

The  wondering  crowd,  consumed  with  curios- 
ity, only  slowly  dispersed.  This  outbreak  was 
of  the  stuff  that  made  up  their  daily  lives.  It 
was  in  the  air,  always  lurking  half-hidden  be- 
hind the  blue-cotton  exterior  of  their  monoton- 
ous existence,  coming  in  sudden  storms.  Swift, 
well-recognized  and  very  often  fatal  to  the  weak, 
but  nevertheless  accepted  as  something  which 
comes  directly  from  Heaven. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FOR  many  days  no  one  in  the  neighbour- 
hood saw  or  heard  of  the  boy;  he  had 
disappeared  as  utterly  as  if  the  ground 
had  swallowed  him  up.  The  neighbourhood 
gossiped  about  the  incident  as  they  loitered  about 
in  the  evening  watching  the  father  sitting  mo- 
tionless and  silent  at  his  door.  And  in  the  East- 
ern way  the  tale  grew  until  it  was  averred  that 
the  father  had  tried  to  slay  his  son  with  his 
huge  smith's  hammer  and  that  he  was  grimly 
waiting  for  the  truant's  return  to  carry  out  his 
threat.  It  was  said  that  the  boy  had  fled  back 
to  the  village  whence  he  had  originally  come 
years  before  in  that  inconsequential  way  on  a 
creaking  wheelbarrow,  and  that  never  would  he 
be  seen  again. 

"  Perhaps  he  has  killed  himself/'  suggested 
the  women,  always  willing  to  believe  the  worst. 
But  the  men  shook  their  heads,  firm  in  the  belief 
that  in  this  case  flight  to  the  ancestral  village 
had  been  sufficient  redress. 

51 


52  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Yet  could  they  have  only  known  it,  Wang  the 
Ninth  was  not  far  away  —  in  fact,  less  than  two 
miles  as  the  crow  flies.  He  nad  gone  at  his  fast 
jog-trot  not  in  through  the  city  gate  as  they  had 
all  supposed  (for  that  was  only  a  feint),  but 
round  the  city  along  those  desolate  outer 
stretches  which  recall  the  sandy  deserts  of  High 
Asia.  On  and  on  he  had  gone  until  at  last  he 
had  come  upon  a  group  of  humble  dwellings 
made  of  reeds  and  mud  and  placed  strategically 
just  where  the  mighty  stone  girdle  of  the  capital 
sweeps  round  in  a  giant  curve  to  form  the  north- 
ern face  trf  the  rectangle.  There  he  had  slowed 
down  his  running  to  a  walk;  and,  cautiously 
glancing  around  'to  see  that  he  was  not  observed, 
he  had  at  length  walked  into  the  biggest  house 
as  bold  as  brass  and  announced  most  casually: 
"  I  have  come  for  work." 

The  men  gathered  there  on  the  brick  k'ang 
had  laughed  at  him  at  first;  for  who  had  ever 
heard  of  entrusting  the  smuggling  of  wine  to  a 
thirteen-year  old  boy?  For  this  was  their  pe- 
culiar business:  smuggling  wine  into  the  city  so 
as  to  avoid  the  city-dues.  It  was  not  majestic 
or  even  very  dangerous  work,  but  it  required  a 


WANG    THE    NINTH  53 

certain  tenacity  -<—  and  great  climbing  powers. 
For  it  was  over  the  wall  of  the  city  that  they 
practised  their  evasion,  carrying  to  the  wine- 
taverns  the  yellow  wine  of  the  country  in  leather 
bottles  which  were  packed  on  their  backs  much 
as  a  soldier  carries  his  knapsack.  Often  had 
Wang  the  Ninth  observed  them  as  they  ran 
crouching  to  the  city  wall.  He  had  made  in- 
quiries and  thoroughly  informed  himself.  So 
now,  in  answer  to  their  rough  gibes,  he  said : 

"  It  is  true  I  have  never  attempted  this  busi- 
ness, but  I  have  carried  concealed  bottles  very 
often  and  I  know  many  tricks.  Often  have  I 
heard  how  you  climb  the  wall  here  at  dawn  and 
dusk.  I,  too,  would  engage  in  this  enterprise." 

Thus  had  he  spoken.  Then  when  they  cursed 
him  for  his  effrontery  he  had  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. Presently  because  he  was  so  persistent 
they  had  relented,  and  declared  that  if  he  wanted 
to  risk  it,  they  would  try  him. 

"  But  would  you  not  show  fear?  "  inquired  one 
in  a  last  doubt. 

"  Fear !  "  he  retorted.  "  Who  speaks  of  fear ! 
Give  me  a  day  to  learn  correctly,  and  I  will  walk 
up  the  wall  as  a  man  goes  up  a  rope." 


54  WANG   THE    NINTH 

His  assurance  had  completely  won  the  day,  as 
it  always  does  in  every  affair  in  life.  He  was 
fed  and  went  to  sleep  on  the  brick  k'ang  under 
the  coat  of  the  man  who  had  first  spoken  in  his 
favour ;  and  on  the  morrow  at  grey  dawn  he  went 
out  with  three  men  bearing  leather  bottles  and 
followed  them  up  the  angle  of  the  city  wall  as 
easily  as  if  it  had  been  a  tree. 

"  It  is  nothing,"  he  remarked  scornfully  as 
they  crouched  together  on  the  top  of  the  great 
rampart  to  make  sure  that  no  guards  were  about : 
for  the  men  in  the  guard-house  occasionally  made 
a  raid  to  justify  their  existence.  He  spoke  thus 
because  he  was  elated  by  the  giddy  sensation  of 
the  climb,  and  he  boasted  when  he  should  have 
thanked  the  generosity  of  Heaven. 

"  Wait  for  the  descent,"  chorussed  the  others. 
"  That  is  not  so  easy  even  for  us  who  have  done 
it  so  often.  Perhaps  you  will  know  fear." 

They  darted  across  the  broad  brick  platform 
to  the  inner  parapet,  crouching  low  as  they  ran, 
for  there  was  a  guard-house  a  few  hundreds 
yards  away.  Without  a  word  the  first  man 
went  over,  then  the  second,  then  the  third,  each 
making  the  dizzy  descent  slowly,  cautiously, 


WANG    THE    NINTH  55 

their  backs  to  the  wall  at  the  angle  where  the 
buttress  juts  out  squarely  —  walking  down 
sedately  like  human  flies  —  which  is  a  trick 
which  may  be  occasionally  seen  even  to  this  day, 
and  is  possible  because  of  the  innumerable 
crevices  which  time  and  water-erosion  have 
worked  into  the  brickwork. 

The  boy  watched  them  from  top,  and  mem- 
orized as  well  as  he  could  every  step,  as  he 
studied  all  the  cracks  and  interstices  in  the  mam- 
moth defence.  But  when  his  turn  came  he 
found  that  his  stretch  was  smaller  than  that  of 
a  full-grown  man  and  that  the  strain  was  great 
both  on  arms  and  legs.  Half-way  down  he  be- 
came a  little  tired  and  a  little  afraid.  But  with 
iron  resolution  he  conquered  the  shaking  of  his 
knees  and  the  faintness  in  his  heart;  and  at 
length  won  the  battle  and  jumped  the  last  six 
feet,  falling  and  lying  on  the  ground  panting 
whilst  his  leather  bottles  rolled  near  him. 

"  It  is  nothing,"  he  remarked,  as  his  breath 
returned.  "  If  I  were  full-grown  I  could  do  it 
with  my  eyes  blindfolded  in  less  than  a  week. 
It  is  nothing  and  less  dangerous  than  a  swaying 
tree-top." 


56  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  This  boy  has  too  much  courage,"  said  one 
man  morosely.  "  We  have  done  ill  to  take  him. 
This  courage  will  lead  to  rashness.  Who  knows 
where  it  will  lead ! " 

So  had  spoken  the  representative  of  a  society 
so  constituted  that  its  safety  is  held  endangered 
by  any  one  who  displays  contempt  for  the  all- 
pervading  caution.  Wang  the  Ninth  did  not 
know  about  these  things,  and  certainly  would  not 
have  cared  if  he  had.  He  was  just  a  small  hu- 
man animal,  amazingly  self-reliant  and  amaz- 
ingly resourceful.  His  pride  had  been  deeply 
hurt  by  his  father's  public  insult  of  him.  There 
was  consequently  a  mass  of  sullen  rage  deep 
down  in  his  heart  —  a  mass  as  solid  and  as  heavy 
as  a  cannon-ball.  For  of  all  things  that  you 
may  say,  even  in  the  sharpest  disputes,  there  is 
one  which  must  be  sedulously  avoided.  Be- 
tween father  and  son  this  rule  is  iron.  The  fa- 
ther had  broken  the  rule  and  so  it  was  better  for 
the  son  to  carry  leather  bottles  of  wine  up  the 
city  wall  than  to  remain  at  his  side.  Beyond 
this  the  boy  did  not  reason  much  although  he 
medidated  endlessly  as  he  worked  at  his  new 
trade.  Sometimes  the  smugglers  were  detected 


WANG    THE    NINTH  57 

by  the  guards  and  then  there  was  a  confused 
sauve-qui-peut  to  the  sound  of  a  few  shots  that 
made  a  great  deal  of  noise  but  were  compara- 
tively harmless.  Once,  however,  one  of  his 
mates  lost  courage  and  fell  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, breaking  some  bones  and  stopping  the 
whole  enterprise  for  days;  for  the  smugglers 
were  at  bottom  a  miserable  lot  who  had  lost  all 
real  courage  through  years  of  stealth. 

One  day  something  prompted  him  to  give  them 
the  slip,  and  very  calmly  he  marched  down  the 
outer  street  of  the  suburb  which  led  to  his  fa- 
ther's hut  watching  narrowly  to  see  how  his  re- 
turn was  taken. 

His  acquaintances  greeted  him  with  cries  of 
astonishment.  "Here  is  Wang  the  Ninth  back 
again ! "  they  exclaimed,  crowding  round  him. 
"  See,  he  has  a  red  girdle  round  his  waist  and 
new  clothing  on  his  back." 

But  he  shook  them  off  and  ran  on  when  they 
attempted  to  cross-question  him;  for  he  was  of 
a  loyal  nature  and  moreover  had  no  intention  of 
allowing  the  world  to  know  what  a  nefarious  oc- 
cupation he  had  been  engaged  in. 

Near  his  home  some  of  his  former  play-mates, 


58  WANG    THE    NINTH 

still  secretly  admiring  his  independent  attitude 
and  a  certain  roughness  he  had  sedulously  culti- 
yated,  said  to  him  in  discreet  voices : 

"  You  ought  to  have  come  sooner.  Your  fa- 
ther has  been  sick  these  many  days.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  neighbours  he  would  have  fared  ill 
indeed.  Money  and  food  are  lacking." 

Now  he  hastened  on.  His  bravado  had  van- 
ished and  there  was  gloom  in  his  heart.  In  some 
trepidation  he  opened  the  door  of  his  father's 
hut  and  walked  in,  watched  from  the  street  by 
all  his  youthful  friends. 

Inside,  stretched  on  the  rude  bed  of  boards, 
lay  his  father,  quite  motionless  and  covered  in  a 
sheep-skin  coat,  although  the  weather  was  warm. 

"  I  have  returned,"  said  the  son,  coming  up  to 
him  and  speaking  in  his  quick  city  vernacular 
which  was  so  unlike  his  father's  slow  uncouth 
country  speech.  "  How  has  this  happened?  " 
he  added,  bending  down  now.  The  resentment 
within  him  had  faded,  for  was  this  not  his 
father? 

The  sick  man  only  groaned  for  reply,  fixing 
on  him  glassy  eyes. 

"  How  is  it?  "  repeated  the  youth  in  the  query 


WANG    THE   NINTH  59 

which  every  one  in  the  country  uses  a  dozen  times 
a  day,  and  feeling  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  He  had 
never  before  been  confronted  with  the  phenom- 
enon of  physical  collapse.  It  left  him  awkward 
and  chagrined. 

"  It  is  fever,"  mumbled  the  father  at  length 
sighing  heavily.  "  If  there  were  money  for  medi- 
cine it  might  be  better.  But  the  neighbours  have 
given  me  freely  and  I  cannot  borrow  more." 

"  I  will  attend  to  it,"  said  the  stripling,  and 
with  that  he  marched  out  again  and  down  the 
street  to  a  shop  with  a  gaudy  gilt  front  and  a 
massive  counter  covered  with  blue  cloth. 

"  Medicine  for  fever,"  he  said,  abruptly  put- 
ting down  a  piece  of  silver,  and  leaning  against 
the  counter  to  see  that  full  weight  was  given  him. 
Presently  he  received  twenty-four  little  packets 
done  up  in  rough  brown  paper  which  were  guar- 
anteed to  be  the  very  best  of  the  herbalist's  art. 
With  these  in  his  hand  he  marched  back  and 
settled  down  to  the  task  of  tending  his  sick  par- 
ent. He  displayed  the  same  phlegm  he  had  shown 
in  the  smuggling  of  wine.  Three  times  a  day 
he  drew  water  from  the  common  well  and  lit  the 
fire  and  boiled  congee,  and  bought  things  as  if 


60  WANG   THE    NINTH 

he  had  been  trained  to  housework  all  his  life; 
for  this  curious  nation  is  like  that  —  all  can 
settle  to  any  task  with  patience  and  ease.  But 
his  father  instead  of  getting  better,  became 
worse.  Sometimes  for  many  hours  he  lay  with- 
out speaking  or  moving,  and  the  boy  frowning 
deeply,  became  gloomy  and  very  silent. 

"  It  is  a  bad  business,"  he  said  to  the  neigh- 
bours when  they  met  him  on  the  street.  "  He 
makes  no  progress." 

One  night  he  was  awakened  from  a  dead  sleep 
by  the  man's  cries  and  the  thrusting  movements 
of  his  arms.  He  sprang  up  and  lit  the  tallow 
candle  in  great  alarm.  His  father  was  sitting 
up  catching  at  his  throat  and  gasping  for  breath, 
a  hideous  sight,  with  his  forehead  so  long  un- 
shaven and  his  queue  so  unkempt.  The  boy 
tried  to  give  him  water  but  the  bowl  fell  from 
the  palsied  hand.  He  picked  it  up  and  sup- 
ported the  sufferer  but  with  a  sudden  twist  the 
man  turned  over  and  died. 

Wang  the  Ninth,  in  the  presence  of  death,  cried 
aloud  like  a  frightened  animal  and  then  ran  to 
the  door,  shouting  that  his  father  was  dead.  He 
had  never  seen  death  come  before  —  it  came  to 


WANG    THE    NINTH  61 

him  as  an  injustice  rather  than  a  blow.  He 
wished  others  to  measure  it  as  he  measured  it: 
wished  them  to  realize  the  drama.  But  the 
neighbours  were  sunk  in  sleep  and  when  he  beat 
on  their  doors  he  only  heard  them  stir  and  mut- 
ter that  the  fire-devils  which  prowl  at  night 
were  around.  Nothing  would  induce  them  to 
open  although  they  must  have  plainly  heard  the 
boy's  voice. 

So  quaking  with  fear  he  crept  back  at  last  and 
sat  with  His  head  on  his  knees  and  his  teeth  chat- 
tering looking  at  the  recumbent  motionless  fig- 
ure and  waiting  for  dawn. 

When  daylight  came  he  went  out  and  the 
neighbours  came  willingly  enough  then,  in  a 
never-ending  stream  to  stare  and  make  com- 
ments. He  mourned  loudly,  beating  himself  on 
the  breast  and  looking  very  miserable,  death  be- 
ing an  important  and  ceremonious  event  and 
being  so  considered  by  all.  As  there  were  no 
relatives,  the  headman  of  the  locality  came  and 
made  a  rude  inventory,  and  then  reported  the 
case  to  the  coffin-guild  who  prepared  a  suitable 
coffin  and  sent  two  men  with  lime  to  pack  the 
corpse.  All  the  children  of  the  neighbourhood 


62  WANG   THE    NINTH 

stood  in  a  crowd  together  at  the  door,  watching 
and  trying  to  see  every  movement,  for  a  burial  is 
like  a  marriage  and  never  fails  to  awaken  in- 
terest, the  one  being  the  ending  of  life,  just  as 
the  other  is  its  procreation. 

For  a  day  or  so  things  remained  like  that  with 
the  coffin  in  the  hut.  Then  when  everything  was 
in  order,  they  dressed  him  in  coarse  white  mourn- 
er's cloth  and  placed  a  cap  of  the  same  material 
on  his  head,  and  the  coffin  was  lifted  up  by  four 
men  on  carrier's  poles;  and  preceded  by  a  fel- 
low blacksmith,  who  carried  paper  money  to  be 
burnt  in  imitation  shoes  of  silver  (such  as  the 
dead  man  had  never  dreamed  of  in  his  life)  and 
followed  by  the  mourning  boy,  the  coffin  was  car- 
ried to  the  temple  of  the  locality,  pending  formal 
disposal. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THIS  humble  affair  settled,  the  elders  of 
neighbourhood  gathered  to  decide  what 
should  become  of  the  boy  and  how  the 
debt  which  had  been  incurred  for  the  burial  and 
the  sickness  should  be  met.  The  amount  real- 
ized by  the  few  effects  left  was  barely  sufficient 
to  pay  one  half,  and  it  was  necessary  by  some 
means  to  find  security  for  the  balance.  The  boy 
was  the  last  unliquidated  asset. 

He  had  been  given  shelter  in  a  house  near  by ; 
and  when  he  heard  that  they  were  debating  the 
question  of  apprenticing  him  to  a  big  foundry 
just  inside  the  city  gate  so  that  his  work  might 
liquidate  the  debt,  he  became  alarmed. 

After  much  silent  cogitation  he  felt  his  belt, 
and  finding  a  coin  or  two  still  left,  he  decided  to 
have  his  destiny  settled  once  and  for  all.  Slip- 
ping quietly  down  the  street,  he  came  to  a  grave 
old  man  seated  at  a  table  by  the  roadside  who 
cast  horoscopes. 

Without  a  second's  hesitation  he  placed  his 


64  WANG   THE    NINTH 

money  on  the  table;  and  sat  down  obediently  on 
the  bare  wooden  bench  to  learn  his  fate. 

Every  Chinese  is  possessed  of  eight  charac- 
ters —  four  of  the  Ten  Heavenly  Stems  and  four 
of  the  Twelve  Earthly  Branches;  and  it  is  by 
means  of  these,  combined  with  the  Five  Ele- 
ments, that  the  future  may  be  known.  By  indi- 
cating the  year,  month,  date  and  hour  of  birth, 
which  are  taught  to  children  at  a  very  early  age, 
the  group  of  eight  characters  is  assembled :  then 
there  remains  the  question  of  discovering  which 
of  the  Five  Elements,  that  is  metal,  wood,  water, 
fire  or  earth,  is  to  dominate  the  group  and  how 
the  interpretation  is  to  be  read.  The  most 
skilled  use  the  Book  of  Changes,  which  was  in 
common  use  some  thirty  centuries  ago,  and  by 
this  method  see  clearly  into  some  scores  of  years. 
But  there  are  common  fellows  who  work  as  well 
on  a  simpler  system. 

Wang  the  Ninth  believed  implicitly  in  all  this 
as  a  European  child  believes  in  the  Biblical 
story  of  Creation.  The  truth  of  it  was  so  im- 
manent that  it  was  a  mere  manifestation  of 
scholarship  to  ascertain  the  precise  facts.  So 
he  settled  himself  on  the  hard  wooden  bench  all 


WANG   THE    NINTH  65 

attention  while  the  old  man  peered  at  him  over 
his  spectacles,  and  arranged  the  little  painted 
squares  with  their  distinctive  characters  as  he 
replied  to  the  questions.  Presently  he  had  all 
the  data  complete  —  save  for  the  determination 
of  the  element  which  would  control  him.  When 
he  learnt  that  he  was  a  blacksmith's  son  he  put 
all  the  elements  aside  save  metal  and  fire;  with 
these  two  in  his  fingers  he  consulted  his  books. 

"  You  were  born  by  fire,"  he  said  at  last. 
"  That  is  quite  clear  to  me  from  the  insistence 
with  which  your  year  indicative  is  repeated  un- 
der the  fire-element.  By  fire  you  will  live  and 
be  tested.  Wait  till  I  combine :  then  we  may  see 
how  the  future  grows." 

With  that  he  swept  the  fire-character  into  the 
heap  of  Heavenly  Stems  and  Earthly  Branches: 
he  shuffled  the  lot  slowly  backwards  and  for- 
wards under  his  hands  as  a  priest  performs  a 
rite.  Then  he  took  three  ancient  coins  and 
shook  them  in  a  goblet:  three  times  he  repeated 
the  process  «o  that  he  should  acquire  the  neces- 
sary guidance.  He  noted  swiftly  with  the  aid 
of  his  brush  their  import  on  a  piece  of  red  paper, 
and  muttered  to  himself  at  the  insistence  with 


66  WANG    THE    NINTH 

which   the   original   indications  were  repeated. 

Wang  the  Ninth  sat  stone-still  watching  every 
movement.  A  soldier  with  a  bundle  of  clothing 
on  his  shoulder  had  stopped  in  idle  curiosity: 
there  was  another  wayfarer  or  two  as  well.  All 
these  people  were  silent  in  the  presence  of  learn- 
ing ;  for  each  one  of  them  at  the  appointed  season 
would  consult  such  a  man  regarding  marriage  or 
distant  journeys  or  the  settling  of  any  important 
business. 

Now  the  old  man  stopped  his  shuffling  motion 
abruptly,  aligned  the  characters,  and  drank  in 
their  meaning  as  a  scholar  does  a  clear  script. 
The  onlookers  crowded  forward  so  as  not  to  miss 
a  word. 

"  Born  by  fire,"  he  began,  "  you  are  in  opposi- 
tion to  water  —  yet  are  you  attracted  by  it. 
Everything  from  water  must  influence  you.  By 
water,  rivers  and  oceans  are  meant:  dominated 
will  you  be  by  something  from  over  the  sea  which 
will  shape  your  life  and  violate  your  ancestry." 

He  consulted  a  book. 

"  Yet  fire  will  return  to  you.  By  fire  will  you 
be  tested.  See  here  is  it  written  —  strange  men 
shall  lift  you  up  and  great  perils  shall  you  face 


WANG    THE    NINTH  67 

but  you  will  not  flinch.  Stormy  will  be  your 
life,  but  finally  successful.  Violent  death  will 
approach  you  but  you  will  survive.  Your  des- 
tiny is  with  unaccustomed  things  which  will 
come  upon  you  before  you  are  yet  a  man  and 
drag  you  far  away.  So  is  it  written.  I  would 
scan  your  features." 

The  boy  rose  and  put  his  strong  ugly  face 
close  to  the  learned  one  who  now  murmured : 

"  Confirmatory  signs  are  evident  in  the  fea- 
tures. The  mouth,  colour,  nose,  ears  are  good, 
but  there  is  lacking  the  proper  heaviness  of  eye- 
brow. Guard  against  being  turned  from  your 
purpose,  for  there  is  weakness  in  your  eyebrows. 
Now  the  hands?  " 

The  boy  held  out  his  hands  but  the  old  man 
did  not  consult  the  palms :  he  was  interested  only 
in  the  shape. 

"  The  fire-test,"  he  murmured,  "  everywhere 
the  fire-test.  In  four  places  is  the  character 
written  as  clearly  as  with  the  brush.  Go,  I  have 
told  you  all." 

"  But  the  year  of  the  test,  may  I  not  learn  the 
year?  " 

The  old  man  muttered  to  himself. 


68  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  that  is  also  marked.  But 
let  me  confirm." 

Again  he  shook  the  three  little  cash  arranging 
a  character  at  each  throw. 

"  There  it  is  written  for  you,"  he  remarked, 
"  by  the  cylic  sign.  Keng-tzu-nien  —  the  twenty- 
sixth  year  of  the  Emperor.  This  year  is  the 
twenty-fourth.  In  two  years  your  test  will 
come." 

The  boy  walked  away  slowly  —  powerfully  im- 
pressed by  what  had  been  told  him.  He  left  un- 
answered a  taunting  remark  of  the  soldier  with 
the  bundle.  He  was  absorbed  by  the  prospect 
held  out  to  him.  It  was  his  manifest  destiny 
to  become  associated  with  foreigners  in  some 
way.  The  mere  fact  that  this  coincided  with  the 
plan  he  had  already  dimly  formed  so  impressed 
him  that  a  sort  of  timidity  possessed  him. 

He  stopped  by  the  banks  of  the  Imperial  Canal, 
near  the  scenes  of  his  youthful  escapades  with 
the  Imperial  barges,  and  threw  stones  idly  at 
some  ducks  in  the  water  which  sought  shelter 
with  a  loud  quacking.  But  amusements  which 
formerly  used  to  delight  him  had  lost  their 
power.  He  ate  his  evening  meal  in  silence,  not 


WANG    THE    NINTH  69 

telling  any  one  what  he  had  done  and  he  went 
to  sleep  in  the  same  uncommunicative  mood. 
He  was  awake  at  dawn  and  yawning  greatly,  he 
idled  about  waiting  for  the  first  meal  so  that  he 
could  at  least  make  his  escape  on  a  full  stomach. 

By  noon  not  only  had  he  eaten,  but  everybody 
was  engaged  or  away.  So  very  quietly  he 
rolled  up  his  strip  of  bedding,  thrust  such  spare 
clothing  as  he  had  inside,  and  got  out  of  the 
window  with  the  speed  and  stealth  of  a  cat. 
Then  with  his  head  down  he  ran  by  a  circuitous 
route  through  the  fields,  not  to  his  own  city 
gate,  where  he  was  so  well-known,  but  due  south 
to  the  next  gate  where  he  was  a  total  stranger. 
Through  this  one  he  entered  the  city  and  rapidly 
made  his  way  to  the  foreign  quarter  where  he 
had  never  been. 

The  afternoon  sun  was  flooding  the  streets 
with  golden  light  when  he  passed  the  first 
foreigner's  door.  There  was  strange  writing  on 
the  door,  resembling  the  Arabic  on  the  houses  of 
rich  Mohammedans,  he  thought  to  himself.  He 
slowed  down  and  began  dawdling,  hoping  that 
he  would  receive  some  guidance.  At  last  he  ad- 
dressed himself  -to  a  doorkeeper  —  but  the  man 


70  WANG   THE    NINTH 

hardly  listened  to  him.  Then  he  saw  a  groom 
with  some  foreign  horses,  and  he  loitered  up  to 
him  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  a  foreigner  with 
a  big  red  beard.  This  man  laughed  and  said 
that  many  had  red  beards  and  that  as  he  did  not 
know  the  name  he  could  not  say.  The  boy  be- 
ing tired,  sat  down  on  his  bundle,  and  watched 
every  foreigner  who  passed.  Ten  or  twelve  did 
he  see  in  the  course  of  an  hour  but  none  had  red 
beards  and  all  paid  no  more  attention  to  him 
than  had  he  been  a  stone  on  the  roadway.  Per- 
haps the  man  with  the  red  beard  had  gone  away. 
As  this  thought  occurred  to  him  he  became  sor- 
rowful. Then  fatalism  possessed  him  and  he 
knew  that  he  would  meet  him;  and  presently, 
oddly  comforted,  he  had  an  inspiration.  Now  he 
went  to  the  nearest  foreign  gateway,  and  accost- 
ing a  man  there  asked : 

"  Is  there  no  place  where  I  can  most  easily  see 
all  the  foreigners?  " 

To  his  delight  the  man  answered  —  there  was 
a  guild-house  where  they  played  daily  with  balls 
and  otherwise  amused  themselves. 

Rapidly  he  made  his  way  to  the  spot  indicated, 
and  took  his  stand. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  71 

Dusk  was  coming  and  it  was  hard  to  see. 
Carts  and  ponies  were  collected  near  this  en- 
trance and  the  carters  and  grooms  sat  and  talked 
together.  Wang  the  Ninth,  very  hungry,  now 
tightened  his  belt  and  stiffened  his  purpose. 

Time  flowed  by  as  he  watched  by  the  oil-lamp. 
Foreigners  caine  in  and  went'  out,  sometimes 
singly,  sometimes  in  pairs.  There  were  not  as 
many  as  he  had  expected  —  in  fact  there  were 
few.  But  presently  his  heart  leaped  and  he  ran 
forward  calling.  Here  was  the  red-bearded  man 
walking  by  himself  with  a  big  stick  in  his  hand. 

"  I  have  come  for  employment  ta  lao-yeh 
(your  Honour) ,"  he  babbled,  speech  pouring  from 
his  mouth  like  water  from  a  tap.  "  Many  miles 
have  I  walked  without  food  to  seek  you  and  to 
find  what  I  may.  If  you  will  give  me  favour,  I 
will  serve  diligently." 

The  red-bearded  man  had  paused  amused. 

"  Where  do  you  come  from?  "  he  asked  in  the 
colloquial. 

"  From  the  west  city  gate,"  said  the  boy. 
"  Once  I  met  in  years  gone  by  Your  Honour. 
You  were  riding.  By  you  was  a  lady.  I  was 
small  and  in  the  dust.  I  ran  and  crouched 


72  WANG   THE    NINTH 

away,  for  never  had  I  seen  a  foreigner  before. 
So  did  I  remain  with  my  head  bowed.  Then  as 
you  passed  you  laughed  and  spoke  in  your  lan- 
guage to  the  lady  and  she  laughed  even  as  your 
excellency  had  done.  There  was  a  great  flash. 
I  foolishly  thought  it  was  your  magic  to  destroy 
me;  but  you  had  thrown  a  silver  dollar  to  me 
and  it  had  rolled  to  where  I  lay.  I  picked  it  up 
and  to  all  in  the  neighbourhood  is  the  story 
known.  Since  early  childhood  have  I  remem- 
bered. Now  that  I  am  without  father  or  mother 
or  other  support  I  come  for  employment  from 
your  Honour." 

The  big  red-bearded  man  had  listened  without 
a  word.  Could  any  one  have  looked  close  into 
his  eyes  they  would  have  seen  there  a  certain 
moisture.  Twice  he  looked  down  at  the  boy  and 
twice  away.  Then  he  said  abruptly: 

"  I  can  remember,  too.  The  years  are  not  so 
many.  Follow  me.  Employment  shall  be 
found." 

He  marched  straight  down  the  street  until  he 
came  to  the  gateway  guarded  by  the  self-same 
gatekeeper  who  had  so  angrily  repudiated  any 
knowledge  of  him.  The  gateway,  now  open  and 


WANG    THE    NINTH  73 

lighted  offered  a  warm  welcome;  and  Wang  the 
Ninth,  safe  in  the  knowledge  that  he  was  ad- 
equately protected,  followed  his  patron  in  with 
a  contemptuous  smile,  whilst  his  erstwhile  op- 
pressor shut  the  gate  behind  them  and  then  stood 
watching  them  motionless.  Down  the  broad 
walk  the  red-bearded  man  led  the  boy  never  say- 
ing a  word  until  he  reached  the  door  of  his 
house. 

"  Wait  here,"  he  remarked  briefly  as  he  en- 
tered. 

The  boy,  left  alone  in  the  dim  light,  was  not 
in  the  least  embarrassed  by  his  surroundings. 
He  examined  the  broad  verandah  and  the  flower- 
ing bushes  in  the  ample  compound  with  apprecia- 
tion in  his  eyes. 

"  This  is  good,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  Here  is 
one  who  is  obviously  wealthy.  No  matter  what 
my  task  may  be,  I  shall  never  lack  anything  year 
in  and  year  out." 

As  these  thoughts  occurred  to  Mm  exultation 
coursed  through  his  body.  This  was  more  won- 
derful than  anything  he  had  expected.  Cauti- 
ously he  approached  the  front-door  and  peered 
in  through  the  glass ;  the  interior  was  full  of  all 


74  WANG   THE    NINTH 

sorts  of  other  valuables  such  as  he  had  never  seen 
before. 

His  mouth  watered,  and  his  eyes  remained 
round  with  astonishment. 

"  This  is  beyond  reckoning,"  he  murmured  to 
himself  approvingly.  "  Each  thing  has  its  fixed 
value  and  added  together  they  make  a  great 
sum.  It  is  quite  evident  that  if  many  are  poor 
some  are  rich." 

He  was  still  engaged  in  cogitating  the  matter 
when  the  voice  of  the  red-bearded  man  sounded 
behind  him.  He  turned  with  a  start  and  saw 
that  he  was  approaching  with  servant  who  was 
listening  to  him  respectfully. 

"  Come  here,"  said  the  master.  "  What  is 
your  name?  " 

"Wang  old  number  nine,  your  Honour,"  an- 
swered the  boy,  using  his  common  appellation  in 
the  manner  of  the  common  people. 

At  that  both  master  and  man  laughed. 

"  But  your  full  name?  "  inquired  the  former. 

The  boy  stammered: 

"  My  full  name?  From  the  moment  I  was 
carried  to  the  city  always  have  I  been  called 
Wang  the  Ninth,  being  the  eighth  child  of  my 


WANG    THE    NINTH  75 

father's  family.  Chih  Liang  is  my  personal  ap- 
pellation, though  never  used.  But  it  is  as  you 
wish." 

Once  again  master  and  man  smiled.  There 
was  a  directness  in  this  talk  which  was  as  the 
soul  of  democracy. 

"  And  what  have  you  done  in  the  way  of 
work?  "  asked  his  patron  once  again. 

The  boy  hung  his  head  and  fidgetted  with  his 
hands. 

"  I  have  run  wild,"  he  confessed.  "  Sometimes 
I  assisted  my  father  although  without  regular- 
ity. Sometimes  I  did  other  work." 

"  What  work?  " 

He  hesitated.  Then,  though  embarrassed  not 
a  little,  he  announced  frankly : 

"  I  smuggled  wine." 

"  You  smuggled  wine !     How  and  when?  " 

The  boy  made  a  rough  gesture  with  his  hand, 
as  if  explanation  were  superfluous. 

"  At  dawn  I  climbed  the  city  wall  with  others, 
carrying  country  wine  which  had  paid  no  taxes 
into  the  city.  For  many  months  it  went  well, 
but  in  the  end  I  abandoned  it,  although  there 
was  a  daily  profit." 


76  WANG   THE    NINTH 

The  red-bearded  man  was  pulling  his  beard 
and  observing  him  much  amused. 

"A  smuggler's  apprentice,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Well,  well.  I  am  doing  evil  to  take  you.  But 
is  it  not  true  that  my  gatekeeper  was  once  a 
robber?  Tell  me,  Shih,"  he  continued,  turning 
to  his  man. 

"  It  is  true,"  answered  the  groom,  who  hated 
the  gatekeeper  because  he  was  a  Mohammedan 
and  had  his  own  customs  and  was  moreover  in 
secret  league  with  all  the  horse-dealers,  who 
Were  Muslims,  thereby  taking  from  his  profit  in 
all  buying  and  selling.  "  It  is  known  to  all." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  the  master  reflectively. 
"  Faithfulness  of  service  is  the  only  important 
matter."  He  turned  to  the  boy.  "  Listen. 
For  one  month  I  shall  give  you  trial  in  the 
stables.  Food  and  lodging  shall  you  have. 
Later  the  terms  of  employment  will  be  stated. 
All  depends  on  what  service  you  render  me. 
Now  go." 

And  with  that  he  left  the  stripling  in  the  hands 
of  the  groom  who  marched  him  off  to  his  corner 
of  the  compound  and  assigned  him  his  duties. 

Three  times  a  day  must  he  draw  water  from 


WANG    THE    NINTH  77 

the  well.  Twice  daily  must  the  horse-courts  be 
swept.  It  was  his  business  to  lead  two  ponies 
for  their  daily  exercise.  Never  must  he  mount 
them  or  else  he  would  be  whipped.  As  for  food 
he  showed  him  the  cooking-pots  which  it  was  his 
business  to  prepare.  There  was  food  ready  now. 
Wang  the  Ninth,  at  that  invitation,  sat  on  his 
heels,  seized  a  bowl  and  chop-sticks,  and  devoured 
a  meal  such  as  he  had  seldom  eaten.  Then,  after 
that,  because  he  had  a  full  belly  he  talked  until 
he  reeled  with  sleep,  retailing  to  the  stable-hands 
his  most  exciting  adventures.  Later,  in  the  un- 
broken quiet  of  the  horse-courts,  he  climbed  on 
to  the  k'ang  assigned  him  and  slept  a  leaden 
sleep. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  soft,  regular  life  into  which  he  had 
fallen  soon  affected  the  boy  queerly:  he 
chafed  and  became  openly  moody.     His 
simple  duties  were  so  easily  performed  that  he 
had  endless  time  hanging  on  his  hands.     Al- 
though he  belonged  to  a  race  with  a  genius  for 
passivity,  this  quality  covers  certain  explosive 
tendencies  which  require  a  regular  outlet. 

In  Wang  the  Ninth  was  to  be  found  a  com- 
pendium of  all  the  virtues  and  vices  of  an  ancient 
system.  Quick,  impetuous,  warm-hearted  and 
highly  intuitive,  there  was  mixed  with  these 
things  a  certain  laziness  and  indifference  to 
everything  save  appearance  and  settled  customs. 
Absolutely  honest  wherever  a  definite  trust  was 
given  him,  the  boy  nevertheless  hugely  enjoyed 
all  kinds  of  illicit  things.  It  was  the  fact  that 
he  could  not  indulge  his  passion  for  such  enter- 
prises that  discontented  him:  here  everything 
was  well-ordered  and  regular  —  a  sleek  existence 

in  all  truth. 

78 


WANG   THE   NINTH  79 

"  Ours  is  a  good  master,"  said  the  stable-hands 
gratefully  on  many  occasions.  "  A  man  could 
live  here  a  hundred  years  and  never  fear  for  his 
employment."  To  which  Wang  the  Ninth  would 
only  give  a  qualified  approval. 

One  day,  when  he  was  wandering  in  the  com- 
pound, he  discovered  the  existence  of  a  little 
door  artfully  masked  behind  a  tree.  It  was  in 
strict  consonance  with  his  principles  that  he 
should  keep  quiet  about  the  matter,  particularly 
as  he  had  been  told  that  he  would  be  whipped  if 
he  went  where  he  had  no  business  to  be.  He 
pondered  over  the  matter  unendingly  for  lack  of 
anything  else  to  do,  and  at  last  the  little  door 
aroused  in  him  a  veritable  passion  of  curiosity 
which  became  an  obsession.  Sometimes,  when 
he  was  exercising  the  ponies  by  leading  them 
endlessly  round  the  circular  cinder-walk,  he 
would  stop  short  and  lose  himself  in  speculations 
until  he  was  aroused  by  the  animals  sniffing  at 
his  head.  Once  he  was  so  deep  in  thought  that 
the  head-groom  asked  him  what  he  was  mooning 
over. 

"  I  am  thinking  of  family-affairs,"  he  replied 
abruptly,  which  was  equivalent  to  saying  that 


80  WANG    THE    NINTH 

the  matter  was  beyond  public  discussion,  since 
no  one  outside  the  immediate  family  circle  is 
qualified  to  discuss  them. 

After  that  he  would  sing  to  himself  ever  so 
softly  as  he  walked  the  ponies  slowly  round  the 
exercising-ground,  so  that  no  man  might  know 
what  was  in  his  mind.  But  when  he  was  re- 
leased from  his  duties,  and  dusk  had  fallen,  he 
would  scarcely  ever  fail  to  saunter  round  the 
straggling  compound  and  at  last  work  his  way  to 
the  little  door.  Then,  after- a  look  to  see  that  he 
was  not  observed,  quick  as  lightning  he  would 
dart  in  and  test  it  to  see  if  through  carelessness 
it  had  been  left  unlocked.  Many  times  he  did 
the  same  thing,  and  as  many  times  was  he  dis- 
appointed. He  began  to  believe  that  the  masked 
entrance  had  no  significance  at  all  and  had  come 
down  from  days  when  the  property  belonged  to 
some  one  else. 

At  last,  however,  he  had  the  inspiration  to 
use  the  native  plan  of  putting  dust  in  the  key- 
hole to  see  if  the  key  were  used;  the  very  next 
evening  when  he  came  back  his  quick  eyes  saw 
that  a  key  had  actually  been  thrust  in  and  the 
dust  nearly  all  knocked  out.  There  was  a  clear 


WANG    THE    NINTH  81 

mark  which  was  easily  recognizable.  Three 
times  he  tried  the  experiment,  and  three  times  it 
produced  the  same  result.  He  was  embittered 
with  the  knowledge  that  the  door  was  regularly 
used  but  how  or  why  he  failed  to  discover. 

One  evening  he  put  his  arms  round  the  tree 
which  masked  the  door,  kicked  off  his  shoes,  and 
with  his  amazing  climbing-powers,  swarmed  up 
as  easily  and  as  rapidly  as  if  it  had  been  a  lad- 
der. At  last  he  wras  able  to  look  over  the  high 
white  wall. 

He  was  rather  disappointed. 

On  the  other  side  there  was  a  neat  little  court- 
yard, which  was  flanked  on  three  sides  —  north, 
east,  and  west  —  by  little  buildings,  full  of  lat- 
ticed windows.  In  one  corner  of  the  court 
was  stretched  a  clothesline  with  women's  clothes 
hanging  on  it.  Asleep  on  the  stone-flags  was  a 
small  dog  with  a  fine  coat. 

He  was  so  intent  drinking  in  this  scene  that  an 
exclamation  immediately  below  him  nearly  made 
him  loosen  his  grip  and  fall.  With  his  mouth 
wide  open  and  his  face  very  red  he  glanced  down. 
It  was  a  girl. 

She  made  a  step  or  two  as  if  she  were  going 


82  WANG   THE    NINTH 

to  call  some  one.  But  almost  at  once  she 
changed  her  mind  and  exclaimed  irately : 

"What  are  you  doing  up  there,  ill-educated 
boy?  » 

At  that  he  was  covered  with  confusion:  the 
power  of  speech  almost  left  him.  He  said  lamely 
enough : 

"  There  was  a  little  bird  on  this  tree  hopping 
about  in  the  branches.  I  had  observed  it  two 
or  three  times  before  and  tonight  I  determined 
to  catch  it,  hoping  that  it  was  too  young  to  fly 
and  had  fallen  from  the  nest  above.  It  was  not 
an  easy  matter." 

He  pointed  with  a  hand  upwards  to  a  nest; 
then  he  let  go  both  hands  from  the  tree,  holding 
on  with  his  knees  in  a  spirit  of  bravado. 

"  A  small  bird !  "  echoed  the  girl.  "  Where  is 
it  —  show  it  to  me.  I  walk  here  every  day  and 
never  have  I  observed  it." 

"  Fei-la  —  it  has  flown,"  he  answered  abruptly. 
"  My  supposition  was  incorrect.  Evidently  it 
was  sufficiently  grown  to  fly.  It  is  very  difficult 
to  judge  birds  at  this  season." 

"  Up  there  was  it  that  you  saw  it?  "  queried 


WANG    THE    NINTH  83 

the  girl  again  with  persistence  because  she  was 
a  woman. 

"  Yes,  in  the  tree,''  answered  Wang  the  Ninth 
rather  rudely.  Then  something  prompted  him 
to  laugh  suddenly  in  his  spontaneous  way. 

"  What  I  have  just  told  you  is  not  true,  at 
least  not  entirely/'  he  remarked,  picking  at  the 
bark  with  his  fingers.  "  Evidently  there  are 
birds  in  all  trees  where  there  are  nests  —  but  I 
myself  came  to  look  over  the  wall." 

Below  an  exclamation. 

"  To  look  over  the  wall !  That  is  not  a  good 
business.  You  will  surely  be  beaten  if  you  are 
caught.  This  indeed  is  an  impudent  boy.  But 
why  did  you  wish  to  look  over?  " 

"  Because  for  many  days  I  had  observed  the 
small  door  and  was  unable  to  understand  why  it 
was  locked." 

Again  the  girl  gave  an  exclamation. 

"  Certainly  will  you  be  beaten  if  you  are 
caught.  Go  quickly.  My  grandfather  is  the 
steward  —  has  no  one  told  you?  But  what  do 
you  do  in  the  house?  " 

"  I  am  in  the  stables." 


84  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  Now  I  know.  You  are  the  one  they  call  the 
little  wine-smuggler.  Certainly  you  climb  well 
enough  for  that.  But  if  you  practise  this  sort 
of  thing  you  will  inevitably  suffer." 

At  that  the  boy  said  rather  glumly  in  a  sort  of 
monologue :  "  They  attach  that  name  to  me  for 
motives  of  jealousy  because  they  fear  that  the 
master  may  unduly  favour  me.  In  any  case  I 
only  smuggled  for  a  month  or  so.  There  was 
nothing  particular  in  what  I  did.  I  have  never 
defrauded  others.  From  the  stables  there  is  a 
constant  removal  of  grain :  all  share  in  this  dis- 
honesty, and  yet  they  do  not  hesitate  to  make 
unjust  remarks  about  myself." 

He  was  distinctly  angry.  Something  in  him 
rebelled  at  the  fact  that  a  stranger  and  a  woman 
should  know  him  by  a  nasty  nickname.  He  felt 
humiliated.  And  inclination  came  over  him  to 
slide  down  the  tree  without  another  word.  But 
just  then  the  girl  asked: 

"  Will  you  risk  climbing  up  again?  " 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  It  seems  a  stupid  business.  I  hear  nothing 
good  about  myself  when  I  do.  And  there  is  al- 
ways the  danger  of  punishment." 


WANG    THE    NINTH  85 

Then  there  was  silence.  Above  the  blue-black 
sky  had  lost  its  last  hint  of  orange  and  yellow. 
Night  was  fast  coming  on  in  this  land  of  no  twi- 
light. Within  a  few  minutes  it  would  be  pitch- 
dark. 

"  The  other  side  is  less  dangerous,"  said  the 
girl,  suddenly  pointing  to  the  north.  "  You  can 
reach  it  by  going  round  the  outhouse  where  the 
plants  are  kept." 

He  looked  at  her  in  amazement,  not  under- 
standing why  such  a  remark  had  been  made. 
Then,  after  a  long  pause,  he  began  to  slide  down 
ever  so  slowly,  stopping  every  few  inches  as  if 
he  did  not  know  what  to  do. 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  shall  try  it  —  who  knows. 
In  a  day  or  two,  but  not  at  once  as  I  must  study 
the  ground." 

With  this  odd  good-bye  he  slid  very  rapidly  out 
of  sight,  and  landed  on  the  ground  with  a  clean 
jump. 

In  lees  than  two  minutes  he  had  loafed  back 
into  his  quarters  looking  slily  round  to  see 
whether  his  absence  had  been  observed. 


CHAPTER  XI 

IT  was  more  than  a  day  or  two  before  he  put 
into  execution  the  plan  suggested  to  him  in 
such  an  unexpected  manner.     What  alone 
fascinated  him  was  the  unknown.     Like  all  his 
race,  he  was  inherently  inquisitive  and  full  of 
the  spirit  of  research  into  the  causes  of  facts  and 
events  which  were  new  to  him.     But  a  mystery 
solved  was  a  last  season's  novelty  —  something 
which  it  was  hardly  worth  bothering  about. 

So  he  sat  in  the  dusk,  when  his  work  was  over, 
with  his  bird-cage  in  his  hand  trying  to  teach 
his  mynah  to  talk  as  the  others  did,  and  not 
thinking  of  much  else.  But  the  bird  had  become 
stupid,  and  the  half-formed  words  he  thought 
he  had  once  caught  wrere  no  longer  to  be  heard. 
He  was  anxious  to  have  a  talking  bird,  for  every 
one  knew  it  was  possible  to  teach  some  birds  to 
talk  if  you  showed  patience  and  tact.  Suddenly 
one  evening  he  tired  of  the  pastime.  He  remem- 
bered the  door  that  had  puzzled  him,  and  cage 
in  hand  he  sauntered  very  indifferently  to  the 

86 


WANG   THE    NINTH  87 

spot  indicated  to  him.  With  the  long  curved 
copper-hook  of  his  cage  firmly  grasped  in  his 
mouth,  he  at  length  swarmed  up  the  outhouse, 
making  a  great  noise  in  the  process,  but  getting 
himself  soon  enough  astride  of  the  compound 
wall. 

In  the  little  courtyard  below  him  there  was 
no  one  to  be  seen.  He  could  not  see  a  single 
shadow  or  a  single  movement  behind  the  latticed 
windows,  and  he  quickly  imagined  that  every  one 
had  gone  out. 

He  sat  surveying  this  silence  for  some  time, 
humming  to  himself  mechanically.  At  this  hour 
just  before  dusk  the  world  was  always  very  quiet 
and  peaceful.  All  work  was  over.  Men  and 
women  far  and  wide  were  gossiping  and  passive, 
the  squabbles  and  bickerings  of  the  day  forgot- 
ten. As  he  sat  with  his  feet  comfortably  pulled 
up  under  him,  he  finally  fell  into  a  brown  study 
from  which  he  was  brought  by  a  laugh.  He 
looked  to  the  right,  he  looked  to  the  left;  but 
after  scanning  every  possible  hiding-place,  he 
could  detect  no  movement. 

"  THis  is  an  odd  thing,"  he  exclaimed  aloud. 
«  Who  is  it  that  laughed?  " 


88  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Again  there  was  the  same  amused  noise. 
Thoroughly  puzzled,  he  forgot  his  caution. 
Standing  boldly  upright,  he  commenced  walking 
along  the  top  of  the  high  wall,  swinging  his  bird- 
cage in  his  hand  and  studying  the  courtyard  be- 
low him  closely.  His  trim  little  figure  stood  out 
against  the  skyline  in  such  a  way  that  he  could 
be  seen  at  a  great  distance.  So  absorbed  had  he 
become  that  he  entirely  forgot  his  whereabouts. 
But  suddenly  he  was  aroused  by  a  shout  and  a 
voice  that  he  greatly  feared. 

It  was  the  Buffalo  —  the  steward  —  who  had 
seen  him.  That  he  knew  without  turning  round. 
For  a  moment  he  nearly  gave  way  to  an  inclina- 
tion to  bolt.  Then  his  inherent  pride  asserted 
itself,  and  without  flinching  he  turned  round. 

"  Little  toad,"  called  the  steward  angrily  in  his 
big  raw  voice  as  he  waddled  through  the  bushes 
towards  him.  "  Who  gave  you  permission  to  go 
up  there?  How  many  times  have  you  been 
warned  that  if  you  break  orders  you  would  be  dis- 
missed? " 

"  I  know,"  he  confessed  in  apparent  humility. 
"  But  my  bird  flew  from  its  cage  owing  to  my 
carelessness  in  leaving  the  door  open.  After 


WANG   THE    NINTH  89 

chasing  it  everywhere  it  finally  took  refuge  up 
here  and  the  only  way  to  catch  it  was  to  clamber 
after  it.  No  harm  has  been  done,  however,  and 
now  my  bird  is  safe." 

He  swung  his  cage  in  the  air  as  if  in  proof  of 
his  assertion. 

"  Who  cares  whether  your  bird  flew  away  or 
not!  "  retorted  the  steward  angrily,  puffing  for 
breath.  "  Often  have  I  told  you  that  disobedi- 
ence entails  punishment.  Hsia  lai  (come  down) 
that  I  may  beat  you." 

Now  he  flourished  a  piece  of  bamboo  he  had 
picked  up,  and  stood  immediately  beneath  the 
wall  in  a  posture  of  exaggerated  rage.  To  the 
boy  the  prospect  suddenly  became  forbidding  and 
his  confidence  began  to  desert  him. 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  come  down,"  he  said,  tem- 
porizing and  wondering  how  he  should  escape. 
"  If  I  slip  here  I  shall  hurt  myself  in  the  fall 
and  besides  there  is  my  bird  to  think  of." 

He  scratched  his  head  in,  his  dilemma,  hating 
to  surrender.  Of  course  he  could  run  along  the 
wall  until  he  came  to  a  place  where  he  could 
drop  to  the  ground  far  from  the  old  man,  and 
then  his  swiftness  of  foot  would  save  him.  But 


90  WANG    THE    NINTH 

breaking-off  this  parley  would  mean  that  he  had 
burnt  his  boats.  No  Chinese,  young  or  old,  ever 
closes  the  door  on  compromise.  That  is  quite 
certain. 

He  hunted  round  quickly  with  his  eyes.  Just 
then  to  his  amazement  in  the  little  courtyard, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  he  saw  the  girl  ap- 
pear from  behind  a  huge  earthenware  pot  contain- 
ing water-lilies.  She  had  been  crouching  there 
all  this  while.  And  seeing  that  he  had  seen  her, 
she  signed  to  him  vigorously  to  keep  silence. 

"  Yeh-yeh,"  she  caUed  from  behind  the  wall  to 
the  steward  who  could  not  see  her.  Wang  the 
Ninth,  turning  his  head  first  in  one  direction  and 
then  in  another,  noted  that  the  old  man's  manner 
instantly  changed. 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  said  hurriedly,  glancing  over 
his  shoulder  to  see  that  nobody  was  overhearing 
them.  "  What  can  I  do?  " 

"  Listen,"  called  the  girl  over  the  wall  to  him. 
"  Do  not  trouble  about  this  boy.  It  is  a  small 
affair.  He  is  doing  no  wrong.  He  would  only 
show  me  the  bird  which  I  told  him  to  do  some 
days  ago." 


WANG   THE   NINTH  91 

"  Still  if  the  master  saw  him,"  returned  the 
steward  doubtfully. 

"  It  is  my  wish,"  responded  the  girl. 

There  was  a  moment's  dead  silence.  Then, 
with  something  muttered  under  his  breath,  the 
old  man  shuffled  away. 

Wang  the  Ninth  stood  with  his  mouth  wide 
open  from  amazement.  He  watched  the  old  man 
retreat  out  of  sight  as  if  the  most  surprising 
thing  in  the  world  had  taken  place;  and  then, 
when  he  was  sure  that  it  was  really  true,  words 
poured  from  his  mouth. 

"  He  listens  to  you ! "  he  exclaimed  blankly. 
"  Not  a  word  does  he  dare  to  say  in  reply.  He 
just  listens.  Well,  well,"  he  ended,  waggishly 
shaking  his  head.  "  Here  is  the  strangest  thing 
that  ever  happened  —  a  man  who  obeys  a 
woman." 

Now  admiration  crept  into  his  looks.  He 
looked  down  at  the  girl  in  such  a  frankly  approv- 
ing way  that  she  was  a  little  nonplussed.  The 
mastery  she  had  displayed  was  something  en- 
tirely novel  to  him,  for  the  idea  that  a  man  might 
have  to  take  orders  from  a  woman  had  never 


92  WANG    THE    NINTH 

occurred  to  him  before.  In  his  world  the  women 
slaved  and  worked  and  rarely  rebelled  save  over 
money-matters  or  owing  to  quarrels  among  them- 
selves. They  were  obedient.  They  only  com- 
manded their  children  —  never  grown  men. 

"  Well,  well,"  he  confessed  as  he  ruminated 
over  this  new  knowledge.  "  Now  my  alarm  is  all 
gone.  If  he  dares  to  beat  me  I  shall  make  a 
frank  statement  to  every  one." 

"  He  will  do  nothing,"  replied  the  girl,  "  and 
it  is  better  that  you  should  not  speak.  Speaking 
is  quite  unnecessary." 

He  nodded  his  head  as  if  in  approval  of  such 
sentiments.  He  was  not  an  apostle  of  communi- 
cativeness except  as  a  last  resort.  Sitting  on 
the  wall  in  a  debonnair  way,  he  took  seeds  from 
a  little  tin  box  he  had  hidden  in  his  tunic,  and 
releasing  his  bird  cast  them  up  in  the  air  one  by 
one.  The  mynah,  with  the  regularity  and  sure- 
ness  of  long  training,  caught  each  one  unfail- 
ingly —  finally  coming  to  rest  on  the  boy's  hand. 
An  admiring  comment  greeted  these  efforts. 

"  Oh,  this  is  nothing,"  he  remarked.  "  Some 
are  trained  to  such  perfection  that  they  not  only 
fly  but  talk." 


WANG   THE    NINTH  93 

"  Talk,"  she  echoed  incredulously. 

"  Yes,  it  is  even  so,"  he  rejoined,  anxious  to 
show  his  superior  knowledge.  "  There  are  some 
persons  who  have  such  power  that  they  can  un- 
derstand the  talk  of  even  untrained  birds." 

"  That  is  impossible,"  the  girl  objected. 

"  I  can  tell  you  a  story  that  proves  it,"  he  de- 
clared, and  swinging  his  legs  he  began  a  well- 
known  story  which  he  had  heard  from  the  story- 
tellers at  the  tea-houses  again  and  again. 

"  There  was  once  an  old  Taoist  priest  who 
used  to  live  by  begging  in  a  village.  Everybody 
gave  him  according  to  their  means,  so  the  priest 
felt  under  a  great  obligation  to  them  all.  One 
day  he  suddenly  warned  them  that  they  had  bet- 
ter be  careful  about  fire,  and  the  story  so  alarmed 
them  all  that  a  number  of  them  went  and  in- 
quired what  he  meant. 

"  *  Well/  he  said,  '  I  happened  to  overhear 
an  oriole  who  was  preening  himself  on  a  tree 
remark  repeatedly :  "  Look  out,  a  big  fire :  rescue 
will  be  difficult.  It  will  be  very  alarming." 

"  The  country  people  on  hearing  this  story 
were  not  at  all  impressed.  They  went  away  say- 
ing that  this  was  indeed  a  crazy  old  priest  to 


94  WANG    THE    NINTH 

whom  no  serious  attention  should  be  paid.  Yet 
on  the  very  next  day  somebody  was  careless  with 
a  candle  and  a  conflagration  was  started  which 
destroyed  half  the  village.  After  that  every  one 
believed  that  the  priest  was  endowed  with  super- 
natural powers,  but  when  they  went  to  look  for 
him  he  had  gone  far  away.  A  number  of  men, 
however,  went  in  pursuit  and  finally  overtook 
him  many  miles  away.  Forthwith  they  dragged 
him  back  to  the  village,  every  one  greeting  him 
as  a  dealer  in  magic  and  reviling  him. 

"' Who's  a  magician?'  retorted  the  priest, 
nowise  disconcerted.  '  It's  only  that  I  under- 
stand the  language  of  birds,  that's  all.' 

"  Just  as  he  was  speaking  the  chirping  of  a 
small  bird  was  heard  in  a  tree,  so  they  all  asked 
the  priest: 

" '  Listen  to  the  bird;  what  is  he  saying?  > 

"'What  this  bird  says,'  replied  the  priest, 
1  is  as  follows :  "  Sixth  day  of  the  month  give 
birth,  sixth  day  of  the  month  give  birth;  four- 
teenth, fifteenth  injure."  Now  this  means  that 
in  some  family  twins  were  born  on  the  6th  day. 
Today  is  the  10th  and  before  five  more  days  have 
passed  both  will  die.  If  you  don't  believe  this 


WANG   THE    NINTH  95 

what  objection  is  there  to  your  going  and  in- 
quiring? ' 

"  So  the  people  went  and  inquired.  And  it 
was  found  that  twins  had  actually  been  born  in 
the  village  on  the  6th  day  and  both  died  within 
five  days. 

"  Now  the  fame  of  this  prediction  passed  round 
the  district  and  eventually  reached  the  ears  of 
the  sub-prefect.  When  the  sub-prefect  heard 
that  there  was  a  man  who  could  understand  the 
language  of  birds,  it  struck  him  as  being  a  great 
novelty,  so  he  sent  an  official  messenger  to  invite 
the  old  priest  to  his  residence.  Whilst  he  was 
sitting  there  in  the  library  it  happened  that  a 
flock  of  ducks  passed  by  outside  quacking  loudly 
and  freely.  The  sub-prefect  asked  at  once  what 
the  ducks  were  saying. 

"  '  There  is  a  quarrel  going  on  in  Your  Hon- 
our's house/  replied  the  priest.  '  And  the  ducks 
say  paf  pa!  that  will  do,  that  will  do;  he  favours 
her,  he  favours  her.' 

"  Now  when  the  sub-prefect  heard  this  he  was 
overcome  with  astonishment  and  thoroughly  be- 
lieved in  the  priest's  powers.  This  sub-prefect 
had  two  wives,  a  senior  long  wedded  to  him,  and 


96  WANG   THE    NINTH 

a  young  concubine.  The  elder  had  a  slight  tend- 
ency towards  jealousy,  and  though  she  did  not 
let  it  be  shown,  she  used  to  discipline  the  young 
one  every  day.  The  young  woman,  having 
gained  great  favour  in  the  eyes  of  her  master, 
did  not  submit  tamely  to  the  control  of  the  older 
one,  so  the  result  was  that  there  were  constant 
bickerings  and  quarrels.  Invariably  the  sub- 
prefect  took  the  side  of  his  favourite,  with  the 
consequence  that  the  older  woman  got  angrier 
every  day.  It  is  not  known  what  had  offended 
the  senior  wife  that  day,  but  in  any  case  the  two 
women  were  involved  in  a  dispute  which  it  was 
difficult  to  settle,  and  so  the  old  priest  having 
hit  the  nail  on  the  head  accurately  pleased  the 
sub-prefect  immensely,  so  much  so  that  he  kept 
the  priest  in  his  yamen  and  treated  him  very 
well.  Whenever  he  asked  what  the  birds  were 
saying,  the  priest  would  give  an  explanation  and 
he  was  always  correct  in  every  particular. 
There  was  one  objectionable  point,  however. 
The  priest  was  a  bit  rough  in  his  talk  and  no 
matter  what  the  subject  might  be,  whenever  he 
opened  his  mouth  to  say  anything  there  was  no 
reserve  whatever  about  his  remarks. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  97 

"  This  sub-prefect  was  a  man  of  a  very  cove- 
tous disposition  and  in  all  matters  connected 
with  the  supplies  of  his  yamen  he  forced  the  peo- 
ple to  commute  their  obligations  into  cash  pay- 
ments. 

"One  day  when  the  sub-prefect  was  sitting 
chatting  with  the  priest,  they  again  saw  the  flock 
of  ducks  coming  waddling  and  quacking  along. 
'  What  do  they  say  this  time? '  asked  the  sub- 
prefect.  '  This  time/  replied  the  priest,  t  their 
remarks  are  very  different  from  those  on  the 
previous  occasion.  This  time  they  are  chatting 
about  Your  Honour's  miscellaneous  accounts/ 

" '  What  miscellaneous  account  of  mine?  ' 
asked  the  sub-prefect.  *  What  they  are  calling 
is  "  Commute  it,  commute  it,  candle-money  a 
hundred  and  eight,  vermilion-money  eight  tiao 
eight,"  '  replied  the  priest.  The  sub-prefect  was 
so  ashamed  that  his  face  got  red  all  over,  and 
he  suspected  the  priest  of  intentionally  jesting. 
But  he  took  no  notice  of  his  remark  and  the  mat- 
ter passed  over.  On  the  next  day  the  priest 
wanted  to  go,  but  the  sub-prefect  persisted  in 
keeping  him  and  would  not  let  him  leave.  After 
a  few  more  days  had  passed  the  sub-prefect  had 


98  WANG    THE    NINTH 

a  party  in  the  summer-house  in  his  garden,  and 
they  suddenly  heard  a  small  bird  that  was 
perched  upon  a  tree  begin  to  chirp.  One  of  the 
guests  at  the  table  said,  '  Do  you  hear  this  bird? 
What  does  he  say? '  '  This  bird,'  said  the 
priest,  '  is  saying  something  not  very  nice.  He 
says  "  lose  office  go." 

"When  the  guests  who  were  present  heard 
these  words  of  the  priest  there  was  not  one  of 
them  that  was  not  startled,  but  the  sub-prefect 
got  into  a  great  rage  and  ordered  his  underlings 
to  drive  the  crazy  priest  out  of  the  yamen.  Not 
many  days  afterwards,  however,  the  sub-prefect 
was  dismissed  from  office  for  corruption  and 
bribery  and  on  his  record  was  it  written  that  he 
was  never  to  be  employed  again.  Thus  was  the 
priest  vindicated  and  his  powers  fully  proved." 

Wang  the  Ninth  ended  his  story  earnestly  and 
seriously,  believing  that  it  was  true. 

"You  are  a  fine  story-teller,"  commented  the 
girl,  nodding  her  head  repeatedly.  "  What  a 
pity  it  is  that  you  do  not  adopt  it  is  a  profession 
when  you  are  fully -grown." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  I  have  no  kind  of  learning,  only  a  ready 


WANG   THE   NINTH  99 

memory  for  names  and  things.  It  is  possible 
that  in  the  account  I  gave  you  of  the  Taoist 
priest  I  made  mistakes  which  would  have 
brought  laughter  from  those  who  are  skilled  in 
the  telling  of  tales.  The  slightest  deviation  is 
counted  a  fault." 

Later,  he  swung  lightly  off  the  wall  with  a 
farewell  nod  and  was  lost  to  view.  He  was  not 
many  days  older  when  he  overheard  a  neighbour 
casually  saying  that  the  reason  the  old  steward 
showed  such  caution  regarding  his  grand-child 
was  because  his  master  did  not  know  how  from 
his  profits  he  had  not  only  purchased  this  ad- 
jacent house  but  several  others  near  by  for  the 
purpose  of  selling  to  new  foreigners  as  they  came. 
To  the  boy's  surprise,  the  neighbour  called  the 
girl  sha-ta-ku-niang ', —  Miss  Simpleton.  She 
was  a  simpleton  and  he  had  never  guessed  it  — 
in  spite  of  her  hiding  behind  the  great  jar  of 
water-lilies. 

That  obtuseness  on  his  part  deeply  humiliated 
him. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  revelation  of  profit-taking,  which 
grew  out  of  his  chance  adventure,  was, 
however,  the  matter  which  most  deeply 
impressed  him.  He  had  never  conceived  of 
earning-power  so  high  among  servants  as  to  per- 
mit of  houses  being  purchased. 

"  His  profit  can  indeed  not  be  small,"  he  said 
to  himself  many  times  as  he  thought  about  the 
matter.  Now  he  addressed  the  steward  with  a 
respect  which  had  previously  been  lacking.  He 
was  a  man  so  skilful  with  his  miscellaneous  ac- 
counts that  from  his  unearned  increment  he  did 
all  things  that  he  willed.  "  Certainly  there  is 
great  waste  in  this  household  if  those  who  serve 
grow  rich,"  thought  the  boy  very  often. 

Being  the  youngest  in  the  household  he  was 
every  man's  slave,  a  condition  he  accepted  as 
natural  enough.  Even  those  in  the  kitchen  got 
him  sometimes  to  fetch  and  carry,  which  he  did 
not  mind,  since  they  always  regaled  him  with 

food;  and  for  food  he  would  perjure  his  soul. 

100 


WANG   THE    NINTH  101 

It  took  him  many  months  completely  to  satisfy 
his  desire  for  mutton  —  simply  because  that  had 
been  so  beyond  his  reach  when  his  only  knowl- 
edge of  it  was  the  sight  of  the  big  quarters  hang- 
ing in  the  Mohammedan  meat-shops.  As  for 
pork  he  was  able  to  get  that  once  or  twice  a  week 
with  his  ordinary  rations.  For  although  the 
head-groom  divided  nothing  among  his  mates 
from  his  percentages  from  the  grain-dealers,  it 
was  unwritten  law  that  he  should  treat  his  as- 
sistants to  meat  so  as  to  keep  their  tempers 
sweet  and  their  tongues  from  blabbing.  In  this 
way  Wang  the  Ninth  soon  had  every  one's  meas- 
ure. He  knew  how  much  or  how  little  each  was 
worth,  morally  as  well  as  otherwise. 

One  afternoon  the  head-groom,  being  in  want 
of  a  companion,  proposed  that  he  should  accom- 
pany him  to  a  Fair.  There  were  few  things  he 
loved  more  than  the  noise  and  excitement  of 
moving  crowds,  and  as  for  money  he  always  made 
a  loan  from  the  person  with  whom  he  happened 
to  be.  So  eating  sugared  crab-apples  stuck  on 
a  bamboo-stick,  he  sauntered  along  making  com- 
ments which  showed  shrewdness  and  humour. 
There  were  many  fine  things  for  sale  at  the  Fair 


102  WANG    THE    NINTH 

at  booths  set  up  by  shop-keepers  who  were  not 
above  using  such  opportunities  to  display  their 
best  wares  on  common  board  tables.  Little 
crowds  followed  the  wealthy  and  watched  them 
buy,  finding  satisfaction  in  witnessing  the 
handling  of  money  even  if  they  had  none  to  spend 
themselves. 

"  Those  who  are  rich  and  those  who  are  poor 
are  all  out  today,"  remarked  the  boy  in  his  loud, 
unconcerned  way.  "  All  indeed  are  out  sight- 
seeing. It  is  pleasant  here." 

The  head-groom,  smoking  a  cigarette  through 
an  imitation  amber-holder,  and  giving  himself 
up  -thoroughly  to  the  pleasure  of  loafing  in  the 
sunlight,  agreed  with  him. 

"  Nevertheless,"  he  reflected  after  a  pause, 
"when  one  goes  to  see  je-nao  (festivities)  it 
only  means  two  things:  that  one  returns  home 
tired  and  that  a  good  deal  of  foolish  expenditure 
has  been  made." 

"  Still  it  is  possible  to  recoup  that,"  rejoined 
the  boy  slily.  "  That  is  when  one  has  chances  as 
well  as  the  regular  wages  that  foreigners  pay." 

The  head-groom,  being  in  a  good  humour,  only 
laughed. 


WANG   THE   NINTH  103 

"Prices  have  risen  too  high  in  this  city  for 
there  to  be  the  profits  that  were  once  possible. 
Still  so  long  as  one  has  food  to  eat  why  should 
one  complain  — " 

"  Tui-la  —  it  is  even  so,"  agreed  the  boy. 
"  Let  us  be  happy  while  we  may." 

They  wandered  on  gossiping  in  this  way  after 
the  manner  of  the  country,  and  presently  came 
to  a  wine-booth  where  there  had  been  a  good  deal 
of  bibbling.  Two  or  three  men  loafing  there  had 
flushed  faces. 

"  This  indeed  is  one  of  those  ne'er-do-well  boys 
who  has  sold  himself  to  a  foreigner,"  remarked 
one  of  them  contemptuously.  "  He  wears  an  old 
pair  of  foreign  boots  his  master  has  thrown  to 
him  and  doubtless  other  things  he  has  picked 
up.  Rigorous  measures  ought  to  be  adopted 
against  such  as  he." 

Wang  the  Ninth  coloured  with  rage.  He  had 
thought  very  highly  of  himself  with  a  skull-cap 
of  brown  felt  perched  on  one  ear  and  the  afore- 
said foreign  boots  on  his  feet,  not  to  speak  of  a 
pair  of  blue  socks  the  washerman  had  let  him 
have  only  two  days  before.  But  being  skilled 
from  his  long  vagabond  life  in  the  art  of  picking 


104  WANG    THE    NINTH 

a  quarrel  so  that  the  fault  lies  with  the  other 
man,  he  pretended  to  disregard  the  remark. 
When  the  memory  of  it  had  faded  from  the 
minds  of  those  around  him,  suddenly  and  very 
dramatically  he  clapped  his  hand  to  his  girdle 
and  gave  vent  to  a  loud  cry. 

"  What's  the  matter? "  said  the  head-groom 
really  startled. 

Wang  the  Ninth  pretended  to  be  so  absorbed 
that  he  could  not  speak.  He  fussed  with  his 
girdle,  muttering  all  the  while,  and  consuming 
much  time  before  he  made  his  meaning  clear. 
But  finally  he  drew  out  his  little  cloth  money- 
wallet,  as  if  he  had  discovered  it  by  the  purest 
chance. 

"  It's  nothing  —  fortunately,"  he  said  with  a 
big  sigh.  "  For  an  instant  I  thought  my  money 
had  been  taken.  We  were  in  such  close  prox- 
imity to  disreputable-looking  fellows  in  greasy 
coats  that  it  looked  bad.  But  luck  has  been  in 
my  favour;  and  my  purse  is  still  there." 

Now  the  man  who  had  made  the  disparaging 
remark  had  on  a  greasy  coat  and  so  had  his 
fellows;  and  at  the  obvious  insinuation  it  was 


WANG    THE    NINTH  105 

their  turn  to  become  furious.  One  grabbed 
Wang  the  Ninth  by  the  arm. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said  threateningly.  "  A 
dangerous  moment  is  coming  for  you." 

The  boy  shook  him  off  with  a  swift  furious 
movement. 

"  What  have  you  got  to  do  with  me  and  what 
have  I  to  do  with  you?  "  he  inquired  equally 
threateningly.  "  This  is  the  first  time  I  have 
laid  eyes  upon  you  —  and  I  hope  it  will  be  the 
last  for  you  are  unpleasant  to  look  upon  and 
seem  as  if  you  slept  with  candles  as  bedfellows." 

At  that  there  was  a  roar  of  laughter  from  the 
crowd.  Scenting  a  row,  every  one  pressed 
closely  on  the  disputants.  Wang  the  Ninth,  his 
eyes  dancing  with  excitement,  and  satisfied  by 
the  manner  he  had  turned  the  tables  on  the 
others,  pushed  the  advantage  he  had  gained  — 
and  began  what  is  always  effective  among  his 
countrymen  —  a  public  explanation. 

"  I  was  standing  here  innocently  with  my 
senior,"  he  declared,  pointing  to  the  head-groom, 
"  when  I  thought  I  missed  my  purse  and  cried 
out.  Fortunately  I  was  mistaken.  But  merely 


106  WANG   THE    NINTH 

because  I  voiced  my  suspicions  these  ugly  fel- 
lows wish  to  set  upon  me.  Things  have  come  to 
a  fine  pass  when  one's  talk  is  supervised  by  any 
one  who  happens  to  be  standing  near." 

Expressions  of  sympathy  greeted  this  out- 
burst. 

"  Leave  the  boy  alone  —  go  your  way  —  what 
have  you  to  do  with  him?  " —  such  were  the  style 
of  comments  made.  Wang  the  Ninth,  because 
he  was  triumphant,  struck  again. 

"All  is  well  —  all  is  well,"  he  remarked  con- 
versationally as  if  excusing  the  commotion. 
"  Further  comment  is  unnecessary.  I  have  been 
lucky  in  the  matter  of  my  purse  which  is  a 
humble  affair.  But  those  who  are  better  fur- 
nished had  best  have  a  care  and  stand  back." 

At  the  warning  people  began  to  move  on,  and 
Wang  the  Ninth  moved  off,  too,  looking  back  at 
the  men  who  were  swearing  and  being  restrained 
only  with  difficulty  from  following  and  attack- 
ing him. 

"  Was  that  laughable  or  not?  "  he  said  to  the 
head-groom  when  they  were  out  of  earshot. 
"  When  street-fellows  tackle  me  they  get  back  a 
kind  of  talk  they  understand.  Rude  talk  for 


WANG   THE   NINTH  107 

those  in  foreign  employment  cannot  be  toler- 
ated." 

"  It  has  always  been  like  that,"  rejoined  the 
head-groom.  "  When  I  first  entered  service 
twenty  years  ago  I  was  smaller  than  you,  and 
the  difficulties  were  greater.  It  was  necessary 
to  remove  all  trace  of  foreign  things  before  go- 
ing around  the  city.  As  for  riding  on  foreign 
saddles  unaccompanied  by  one's  master  that  was 
impossible." 

"  It  is  jealousy  rather  than  suspicion  which 
attaches  to  us,"  reflected  Wang  the  Ninth. 
"Among  the  Southern  people  it  is  said  to  be 
different,  but  here  it  would  be  easy  to  become 
involved  in  great  difficulties." 

From  this  incident  the  boy  understood  that  if 
he  identified  himself  with  foreigners  to  the  ex- 
tent of  eating  their  rice,  he  must  share  their 
trials.  He  was  enfolded  in  a  discipline  and  in 
customs  different  from  those  of  his  own  people. 
But  to  him  it  seemed  good  because  there  was  no 
want.  Now  that  he  was  on  a  regular  salary  and 
allowed  to  ride  a  horse  he  did  not  care  about  the 
rest. 

Sometimes  he  sat  around  and  argued  keenly 


108  WANG    THE    NINTH 

with  his  fellows  on  this  problem  as  he  saw  it. 
It  attracted  his  active  mind  and  greatly  puzzled 
him. 

"  It  is  not  only  that  their  customs  are  differ- 
ent," he  declared.  "  With  them  the  family  is 
different.  See  how  many  live  unattached  and 
alone.  Also  they  have  many  conveniences, 
which  make  matters  better  regulated." 

"  There  is  less  idleness  among  those  who  could 
be  idle  —  that  is  how  I  measure  it,"  affirmed  the 
head-groom.  "  Among  our  people  who  are  rich 
there  is  no  desire  to  move  or  to  seek  distraction 
by  travel.  All  time  is  consumed  at  home  or  in 
eating-houses.  There  are  few  who  are  rich  who 
have  not  several  wives.  This  is  the  explana- 
tion." 

"Yet,"  objected  the  boy,  "it  is  not  the  ex- 
planation. For  what  you  say  only  applies  to  one 
category  of  our  people.  With  those  who  work 
there  are  not  these  differences." 

"  Those  of  our  people  who  have  no  learning 
follow  those  who  have,"  replied  the  head-groom. 
"  This  is  why  scholarship  is  held  in  high  con- 
sideration :  it  gives  precept  and  guidance.  Our 
book-learning  is  different  from  that  of  the 


WANG   THE   NINTH          109 

foreigners.  It  takes  no  account  of  the  things 
they  study.  Therefore  there  is  opposition  be- 
tween the  two.  That  is  the  second  explana- 
tion." 

"  There  is  much  convenience  in  many  foreign 
matters,"  reflected  the  boy.  "  The  foreign 
house  —  which  is  built  up  high,  is  convenient. 
If  that  were  done  by  our  people  how  much  more 
accommodation  would  be  secured." 

"  With  us  it  is  impossible,"  said  the  head- 
groom.  "  No  roof  may  be  higher  than  the  Em- 
peror's. By  building  their  houses  of  religion 
higher  than  the  Emperor's  Palace  the  foreigners 
first  incurred  hatred.  You  do  not  know  of  these 
matters.  I  have  been  told  about  them  by  our 
scholars." 

Thus  did  they  argue  from  day  to  day,  seeing 
matters  from  a  standpoint  only  to  be  understood 
by  their  daily  lives. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SO  two  winters  passed  and  the  boy  grew. 
He  was  wandering  about  one  of  the  mar- 
ket-places when  he  caught  his  first  glimpse 
of  the  thing  which  brought  the  great  crisis  in  his 
life  and  fulfilled  his  destiny.  A  crowd  had 
gathered  in  one  corner,  and  was  increasing  with 
such  rapidity  that  it  was  impossible  even  to  guess 
what  they  were  looking  at.  By  dint  of  wrig- 
gling and  pushing,  he  finally  managed  to  work 
his  way  through  and  see  what  was  causing  the 
excitement. 

In  a  small  open  space,  a  youth  of  about  his 
age  and  size,  stripped  to  the  waist,  was  standing 
in  the  rigid  posture  adopted  by  native  athletes 
before  they  do  some  feat  of  skill.  But  it  was 
not  this  which  attracted  the  crowd:  it  was  the 
fact  that  he  had  grasped  in  his  hands  a  naked 
sword  which  he  held  within  two  inches  of  his 
eyes.  Staring  at  the  glittering  edge  with  savage 
intentness  he  muttered  a  stream  of  unintelligible 

no 


WANG   THENINTH  111 

words,  which  fell  from  his  lips  rhythmically  as 
in  an  incantation. 

In  the  midst  of  the  deepest  silence  the  people 
watched  with  awe-struck  looks,  no  man  moving. 
Gradually  the  boy's  face  was  assuming  an  ashen 
hue.  The  intensity  of  his  stare  was  such  that 
the  glittering  sword  hypnotized  him.  Now  he 
began  to  sway  rhythmically;  his  lips  gradually 
ceased  moving,  and  the  heavy  sword  trembled 
and  swung  in  his  hands.  Sheer  will-power  held 
him  to  the  ordeal.  Then  the  appointed  end  came 
with  dramatic  suddenness.  With  a  lurch  he 
fell  stiff  and  rigid  to  the  ground.  There  he  lay 
insensible,  his  mouth  wide  open  as  if  uttering  a 
soundless  scream. 

"  What  is  it? "  whispered  Wang  the  Ninth 
under  his  breath  to  his  nearest  neighbour,  a 
butcher  with  the  leather  apron  of  his  trade  still 
attached  to  him. 

The  man  looked  down  at  him  in  a  troubled 
way. 

"  I-ho-ch'uan,  the  Sword  Society,"  he  said  ab- 
ruptly. 

A  confederate  of  the  boy,  who  had  been  stand- 
ing to  one  side,  now  approached.  Quickly  pick- 


112  WANG   THE    NINTH 

ing  up  the  fallen  sword,  he  stabbed  the  boy  in 
the  muscles  of  the  arm  as  he  lay  there.  There 
was  no  blood. 

"  Bear  witness,"  he  exclaimed  in  a  thick  voice, 
waving  the  sword  defiantly.  "  All  who  embrace 
the  belief  need  fear  no  guns  or  swords." 

He  swung  round  to  show  his  red  girdle  and 
the  amulet  on  his  chest.  Necks  were  craned ;  no 
eye  missed  these  details.  These  were  the  in- 
signia which  soon  were  to  cause  an  ancient 
dynasty  to  totter  to  its  grave. 

On  the  ground  the  neophyte  lay  steeped  in 
the  deepest  unconsciousness.  The  crowd  had 
reached  the  greatest  proportions.  Packed  suf- 
focatingly together,  they  watched  every  gesture 
and  every  development,  chained  to  the  spot  by  a 
subtle  hysterical  impulse.  A  keen  observer 
might  have  said  that  they  had  long  been  waiting 
for  this  message.  Wang  the  Ninth  stood  like 
the  rest  consumed  with  curiosity,  until  suddenly 
the  neophyte  on  the  ground  slightly  stirred. 
Now  his  eyes  opened;  he  raised  himself  with  a 
start;  and  then  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet  as 
if  possessed.  He  made  a  number  of  dramatic 


WANG    THE    NINTH  113 

athletic  gestures,  as  his  leader  touched  him  on 
the  arm. 

"  I  am  born  anew,"  he  exclaimed  loudly.  "  My 
body  has  received  a  spirit.  I  go  to  the  Temple 
to  receive  my  new  name."  Then,  before  most  of 
them  could  see  what  had  happened,  the  men  with 
the  blood-girdles,  had  forced  a  passage  through 
the  crowd,  taking  the  neophyte  with  them  to  the 
Temple  to  receive  his  baptism. 

That  night  in  the  stables  Wang  the  Ninth  sat 
up  very  late  telling  his  mates  what  he  had  seen, 
and  indulging  in  pantomime  to  demonstrate  ex- 
actly what  had  taken  place.  The  rites  had 
strangely  impressed  him. 

"  The  sword  is  held  close  to  the  eyes  like  that," 
he  said,  showing  them  with  a  stick.  "  Certain 
powers  are  given:  otherwise  how  comes  it  that 
the  sword  draws  no  blood?  " 

The  others  had  nothing  to  say.  They  were 
like  children  confronted  by  the  unknown.  They 
were  mystified,  and  attracted  as  well.  Yet  all 
sensed  danger;  in  their  rough  way  they  declared 
it  "wras  not  a  good  business,"  particularly  for 
those  in  foreign  employ. 


114  WANG    THE    NINTH 

The  next  day,  at  the  first  idle  moment,  they 
all  sallied  out  to  see  if  there  would  be  any  repe- 
tition of  the  demonstration.  All  in  the  foreign 
quarter  were  talking  of  the  matter;  for  many 
foreigners'  servants  had  witnessed  what  had 
taken  place  the  previous  day  and  were  also  dimly 
disturbed.  But  to  their  relief  they  learnt  that 
the  matter  had  been  reported  to  the  authorities, 
and  that  fearing  disturbances  the  new  brother- 
hood had  been  warned  to  keep  outside  the  city 
limits.  They  were  now  practising,  it  was  said, 
on  the  sands  outside  the  city  walls. 

For  some  days  nothing  happened  and  the  idle 
talk  began  to  die  down.  Then  one  afternoon  all 
the  stable-hands  were  requisitioned  to  ride  with 
their  master ;  and  Wang  the  Ninth  went  to  riding 
a  white  pony. 

They  sallied  out  of  the  city  after  their  wont  in 
a  compact  body.  That  day  it  was  the  master's 
whim  to  ride  far  and  wide  —  into  the  country 
where  a  whole  valley  is  given  up  to  the  walled 
burial-places  of  princes  and  other  great  dead. 
It  was  evening  ere  they  turned  back,  the  master 
leading  the  way  home  on  his  big  black  horse. 

Just  outside  one  of  the  city  gates  they  came  on 


WANG   THE    NINTH  115 

a  group  of  men  standing  in  a  little  knot.  They 
had  a  banner  with  them  stuck  in  the  ground. 
Wang  the  Ninth  instantly  recognized  what  it 
was. 

"  The  new  Brotherhood,"  he  called  so  excit- 
edly that  the  master  heard  him  and  reined  in. 

"  Where? "  he  began  in  the  vernacular,  al- 
though the  question  was  unnecessary.  For  the 
men  had  caught  sight  of  him,  and  were  roundly 
and  bitterly  cursing  him  as  a  foreign  devil  who 
merited  death. 

Without  a  word  he  rode  slowly  up  to  them. 
A  youth  with  a  sword  in  his  hand  had  just  com- 
menced the  posturing  and  the  incantations,  but 
something  made  him  stop  and  watch  the  oncom- 
ing horseman  as  the  others  were  doing.  With- 
out a  word  or  an  indication  of  his  proposed  ac- 
tion, the  red-bearded  master  rode  slowly  towards 
the  group  who  no  longer  dared  to  curse.  When 
he  was  a  few  yards  away,  he  suddenly  drove  his 
heels  into  his  horse  and  was  down  on  them  be- 
fore they  knew  what  had  happened.  The  lash 
of  his  mighty  hunting-crop  whistled  through  the 
air  and  caught  the  boy  stripped  to  the  waist, 
leaving  a  blood-red  weal  which  made  him  shriek. 


116  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Now  as  they  fled  he  pursued  them,  lashing  until 
he  was  exhausted.  Then,  slowly  he  rejoined  his 
own  people,  who  had  not  stirred  or  uttered  a 
word. 

"  It  will  come,"  he  said,  breathing  heavily 
from  his  exertions.  "  It  will  come ;  it  will  come 
everywhere  —  it  will  infect  the  whole  city.  I 
who  have  lived  here  long  know."  Then  without 
further  ado  he  resumed  his  way  home  as  if  noth- 
ing had  happened. 

This  episode  was  more  exciting  to  Wang  the 
Ninth  than  his  first  initiation  had  been. 

"The  master  is  a  man,"  he  said  that  evening 
gleefully  again  and  again.  "  He  will  not  be 
afraid.  And  I  who  serve  him  am  not  afraid 
either." 

Still  fear  came  into  the  city  gates  very  soon 
after  that.  It  slipped  in  mysteriously  just  as 
the  first  practisers  of  the  strange  rites  had  come. 
A  vague  and  curious  blanket  of  apprehension 
settled  visibly  on  every  one,  and  made  men  afraid 
to  look  their  fellows  in  the  face.  For  once  in 
their  lives  their  garrulous  tongues  were  stilled, 
and  they  sat  waiting  in  silence.  It  was  one  of 


WANG   THE    NINTH  117 

the  most  curious  phenomena  which  has  ever  been 
seen  —  quite  inexplicable  save  on  the  ground 
that  certain  processes  of  the  human  mind,  which 
are  common  to  us  all,  are  sometimes  induced  in 
such  powerful  waves  that  none  are  capable  of 
resisting  them.  The  development  of  the  drama 
was  taking  place  as  it  were  behind  the  scenes, 
yet  understood  by  everybody.  A  million  people 
in  the  capital  waited  obediently  like  hostages  to 
learn  their  fate. 

One  morning  it  was  reported  that  carts  full  of 
swords  had  passed  in  through  the  city  gates  with 
inscriptions  boldly  displayed  on  banners  in 
blood-red  characters.  The  city  guards  had  not 
dared  to  interfere,  the  scattered  crowd  follow- 
ing the  carts  full  of  awe  as  though  they  were 
tumbrils  bearing  condemned  men  to  the  gallows. 
It  was  generally  seen  and  noted  how  this  curious 
convoy  made  its  wray  to  a  big  Temple,  disappear- 
ing inside  and  giving  no  clue  as  to  what  was  to 
follow. 

The  sight  of  those  great  stacks  of  swords  re- 
doubled all  fears.  But  who  was  to  do  anything? 
There  was  the  emperor  and  all  his  ministers  in- 


118  WANG   THE   NINTH 

side  the  great  Palace  to  govern  the  land ;  for  the 
common  people  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to 
tremble  and  submit. 

Yet  even  these  developments  were  distant  and 
irrelevant  compared  with  what  Wang  the  Mnth 
saw  going  on  around  him.  He  was  filled  with 
surprise  and  suspicion.  For  his  fellow-servants 
no  longer  wore  anything  foreign  —  they  had 
carefully  removed  everything  that  might  indi- 
cate that  they  were  in  foreign  service.  With  his 
quick  eyes  he  noticed  not  only  what  they  did 
openly,  but  what  they  wished  to  conceal.  Being 
wise  beyond  his  years  he  said  nothing  but 
watched  everybody  and  everything  in  the  com- 
pound with  the  eyes  of  a  hawk. 

Just  as  this  critical  moment,  a  development 
took  place  which  shook  even  his  great  self-con- 
fidence. Being  sent  on  an  errand  far  beyond  the 
foreign  quarter,  he  deliberately  dressed  himself 
up  in  his  foreign  boots  and  gaiters,  and  put  on 
his  head  an  old  felt  hat  which  was  the  common 
property  of  the  stable.  He  was  not  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  away  from  his  master's  house  when 
without  notice  his  hat  was  struck  off  his  head 
and  he  was  hustled  out  of  the  way.  Then  a  cry 


WANG    THE    NINTH  119 

arose  which  was  repeated  from  mouth  to  mouth 
in  a  parrot-like  way,  and  which  so  strangely  af- 
fected him  that  his  wits  deserted  him.  He  waa 
called  a  san-mao-tzu,  a  third  category  foreigner 

—  i.  e.,  one  who  eats  foreign  rice.     He  felt  he 
was  surrounded  by  something  worse  than  anger 

—  something  too  big  to  be  swept  aside  by  re- 
torts.    When  he  made  his  way  home,  his  spirit  of 
bravado  had  utterly  disappeared. 

He  asked  at  once  to  be  admitted  to  the  master's 
presence,  saying  that  he  had  an  important  story 
to  tell.  The  old  steward  consented  without  dis- 
cussion—  a  thing  he  would  never  have  done  if 
the  world  had  not  been  so  upside  down.  The  boy 
went  in  breathless  and  standing  there  told  the 
master  exactly  what  had  taken  place  so  that  the 
warning  should  be  understood. 

His  red-bearded  master  leaned  back  in  his 
chair  and  watched  him  reflectively.  The  boy 
was  surprised  to  see  that  his  master's  bright  red 
hair  was  shot  with  grey. 

"And  were  you  afraid?  "  he  asked  slowly  and 
deliberately. 

The  boy  hesitated  and  then  shook  his  head. 

"  It  was  not  fear  that  I  felt,"  he  said  in  his 


120  WANG    THE    NINTH 

frank,  rough  vernacular.  "  Yet  it  is  troubling, 
to  come  so  suddenly  and  for  no  reason.  The 
others  had  removed  everything  that  might  give 
cause  for  offence.  Even  watches,  it  is  said,  are 
considered  dangerous.  But  I  had  not  believed 
it.  It  is  a  new  thing  —  and  some  say  that  it  will 
be  necessary  for  all  of  us  to  go  — " 

His  master  sat  immersed  in  thought.  Then  he 
asked : 

"  And  you,  will  you  follow  the  example  of  the 
others?  " 

Wang  the  Ninth  felt  that  his  reputation  was 
at  stake.  Still  there  was  no  doubt  or  hesitation 
in  his  reply: 

"  How  can  I  forget  that  Your  Honour's  house 
gave  me  employment  and  food  when  I  was  in 
want?  Whither  should  I  flee  even  if  there  were 
the  great  danger  since  I  am  without  parents?  " 

The  master  looked  at  him  with  approval. 

"  Show  caution,"  he  remarked.  "  It  is  wise  to 
show  caution  now — " 

Outside  the  house  Wang  the  Ninth  found  all 
the  servants  already  gathered  together  discuss- 
ing what  had  happened. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  121 

"  San-mao-tzu  —  third-class  barbarians,"  they 
repeated  sullenly.  "  This  is  a  nice  business  for 
us  who  only  earn  a  bare  living." 

They  were  plainly  frightened.  Those  who  had 
wives  and  children  in  distant  parts  of  the  city 
spoke  of  the  necessity  of  going.  If  this  suspense 
continued,  the  majority  would  certainly  flee. 
Only  the  men  from  the  South  would  not  move. 
For  they  were  strangers,  too,  that  is  quasi- 
foreigners,  who  feared  the  mob  because  of  their 
different  speech. 

Presently,  in  a  day  or  two,  some  foreign  sol- 
diers arrived.  But  there  were  not  many.  It 
was  said  that  thousands  might  soon  come.  That 
night,  however,  a  secret  exodus  began  from  all 
native  households  scattered  throughout  the 
foreign  quarter.  In  carts  and  on  foot  the  peo- 
ple hastened  silently  away,  abandoning  their 
homes  because  of  their  location.  The  foreigner 
was  becoming  accursed  —  it  was  not  good  to  con- 
tinue living  near  him.  The  sombre  depression 
grew  as  before  a  great  disaster.  A  sudden  noise 
would  make  every  one  cease  work  to  see  what 
had  happened.  Discipline  was  so  relaxed  that 


122  WANG   THE   NINTH 

Wang  the  Ninth  was  permitted  to  go  and  come 
as  he  chose,  even  the  head-groom  never  chiding 
him.  So  the  thing  developed,  slowly  yet  rather 
fast,  the  elements  of  evil  gathering  from  afar 
under  cover  of  the  dark. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ONE  night  a  great,  sullen  roar  reached 
him  through  the  open  stable-doors  in 
confused  waves  of  sound  which  ebbed 
and  flowed  as  though  some  monster  were  being 
tortured  in  fits  and  starts. 

Full  of  awe  he  lay  listening.  On  the  cobble- 
stones outside  he  could  hear  his  mates  stirring 
uneasily.  They  were  talking  to  one  another  in 
low,  guttural  voices  that  were  impossible  to  un- 
derstand. In  his  drowsy  state  he  only  paid 
vague  attention  to  them.  Then,  just  as  his  sleep- 
iness was  conquering  him,  words  reached  him 
which  shot  him  to  his  feet  as  if  they  had  been  a 
loud  explosion. 

"  Chao  huo,  (Fire)  "  one  of  them  had  called. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  dread  in  which  the 
fire-demon  is  held  in  the  East.  Whether  it  is 
merely  a  fear,  natural  enough  in  lands  where 
destruction  is  always  absolute  and  irreparable, 
is  uncertain  —  but  what  is  incontestable  is  that 

123 


124  WANG   THE    NINTH 

conflagrations  inspire  horror  from  one  end  of 
Asia  to  the  other. 

Wang  the  Ninth  had  rushed  outside. 

"Where  is  it?"  he  called  in  his  shrill  voice, 
stumbling  forward  in  the  dark. 

But  the  man  had  already  disappeared.  As  he 
halted  there  irresolutely,  a  glare  on  the  dark 
horizon  caught  his  attention. 

Even  as  he  looked  the  light  grew  magically. 
It  spread  in  a  fan  of  red  and  yellow  across  the 
skies,  making  mysterious  effects  on  the  dark 
night  clouds  which  seemed  to  become  living 
things  like  wrathful  dragons.  Now  the  distant 
cries  swelled  to  a  veritable  storm  which  was 
borne  to  him  like  a  call  for  help. 

His  quick  mind  instantly  leaped  to  the  con- 
clusion that  this  was  incendiarism ;  it  could  only 
be  the  torch  that  carried  the  flames  to  so  many 
points  at  once,  and  then  joined  them  together 
into  such  a  vast  circle  of  dancing  light.  He  ran 
through  the  darkness  to  the  gatehouse  to  seek 
companionship. 

The  Mohammedan  gatekeeper  was  standing  at 
the  gates  which  had  been  thrown  wide-open ;  and 
already  a  large  company  of  his  neighbours  had 


WANG   THE    NINTH  125 

collected  there.  They  were  women  and  babies, 
and  weeping  children  —  all  dragged  to  the  gate- 
house of  a  foreigner  because  that  seemed  to 
promise  protection.  Awe-stricken  stories  passed 
from  mouth  to  mouth ;  there  was  enough  to  learn 
to  keep  the  boy  listening  until  dawn. 

The  Sword-Society  —  everybody  said  that  they 
were  at  work.  They  had  descended  on  the  outer 
city  in  their  thousands  and  were  setting  fire  to 
the  shops  after  they  had  looted  to  their  fill.  Far 
more  awful  things  would  soon  occur.  No  one 
dared  to  stir.  Every  mind  was  only  occupied 
with  the  question  of  personal  safety. 

"  But  the  foreigners  won't  let  them  bring  harm 
in  here,"  protested  Wang  the  Ninth  at  last. 
"  They  will  shoot  them  down ;  if  you  do  not  hear 
firing  very  shortly  it  will  be  strange." 

"  Perhaps,  perhaps,"  rejoined  the  refugees. 
"  But  they  will  look  after  themselves  first  and 
who  knows  how  long  they  will  remain  to  protect 
us.  Tonight  is  unimportant:  it  is  only  the  be- 
ginning. We  shall  be  left  behind.  What  will 
be  our  lot  then?" 

A  murmur  of  commiseration  greeted  this. 

"  I  am  not  afraid,"  protested  the  boy  defiantly. 


126  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"I  have  eaten  foreign  rice  and  I  shall  remain. 
It  will  not  be  as  you  think.  There  will  be  new 
things  —  many  foreign  soldiers  will  come." 

He  asked  a  question  of  the  gatekeeper. 

"  I  go  to  the  city  wall  too,"  he  exclaimed,  "  to 
see  what  there  is  to  see." 

And  now  he  started  off  at  a  run. 

"  There  goes  one  who  thinks  that  the  foreigner 
can  accomplish  all  things,"  grumbled  the  gate- 
keeper. "  There  is  not  a  thing  they  do  that  he 
does  not  think  excellent  and  yet  he  has  been  here 
but  a  very  short  while.  Less  than  two  years  ago 
at  the  time  of  the  winter  festival  he  came  seek- 
ing work;  and  when  our  master  gave  it  to  him 
he  became  for  him  as  his  father." 

But  the  object  of  these  remarks  was  far  away. 
Like  a  dog  following  up  some  scent,  and  wholly 
absorbed,  in  what  he  was  doing,  the  boy  had 
run  on. 

The  nearer  he  came  to  the  city  wall  the 
brighter  was  the  glare.  It  was  indeed  so  bright 
that  it  was  now  possible  to  see  every  object 
around  him.  People  were  peering  out  of  door- 
ways and  called  to  him  repeatedly  for  informa- 
tion, but  he  ran  on. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  127 

Up  the  broad  ramp  of  the  city  wall  he  ran  and 
then  in  the  direction  of  the  great  tower  which 
crowned  the  central  entrance.  He  knew  that 
there  was  where  the  foreigners  would  go  because 
there  it  was  possible  to  see  most.  Now  as  he 
came  nearer  to  this  point,  the  magnificence  of  the 
spectacle  greatly  impressed  him. 

"  It  is  unbelievable/'  he  murmured. 

It  was  indeed  unbelievable.  From  this  van- 
tage-point it  seemed  as  if  half  the  city  were  in 
flames  —  the  flames  now  seemed  to  extend  for 
miles.  Choking  clouds  of  smoke  were  wafted  up 
to  him  full  of  sparks.  It  became  difficult  to 
breathe;  and  it  was  clear  that  had  it  not 
been  for  the  great  moat  and  this  massive 
wall,  the  foreign  quarter  would  already  have 
been  in  flames  like  the  rest.  With  his  head 
down  and  his  heart  thumping  hard  the  boy 
ran  on  until  he  came  upon  a  large  crowd  of 
foreigners. 

"  I  seek  my  master,"  he  explained,  using  his 
Chinese  name. 

"  Over  there,"  they  waved  to  him. 

He  recognized  his  master  from  his  great  bulk. 
He  was  standing  before  a  knot  of  armed  native 


128  WANG   THE    NINTH 

soldiers.    As  he  came  up  he  caught  the  master's 
last  words. 

..."  So  long  as  the  gates  are  kept  shut  no 
harm  can  come.  But  if  they  are  opened  even 
though  it  be  for  a  tenth  of  a  minute,  you  as  well 
as  every  one  else  will  suffer  and  lose  your  lives." 

In  a  chorus  the  guards  rejoined : 

"  We  understand,  your  Excellency.  It  is  as 
you  say." 

Then  they  broke  off.  For  immediately  be- 
neath them  came  a  fiendish  yelling  from  count- 
less throats. 

"  Open  the  gates,  open  the  gates." 

From  out  of  the  smoke  and  flames,  the  mad- 
dened desperadoes  chorussed  this  dirge. 

"  Open  the  gates,  open  the  gates/'  they  cried 
ceaselessly  and  imperatively. 

Wang  the  Ninth  crept  to  the  parapet,  and 
thrusting  his  head  through  an  embrasure  gazed 
out. 

Lit  up  by  the  flames,  great  dark  patches  of 
men  could  be  seen  standing  there  gesticulating 
and  shouting  madly  to  the  accompaniment  of  the 
crackling  flames.  Sometimes  as  the  rafters  of 
some  burning  emporium  fell  in,  an  enormous 


WANG    THE    NINTH  129 

cloud  of  sparks  was  wafted  into  the  air  and  fell 
about  them,  sending  up  glints  from  their  swords 
and  spears  which  they  shook  and  waved. 

"  Open  the  gates ;  open  the  gates." 

So  it  went  on  for  very  long.  The  master's 
voice,  sounding  at  his  very  elbow,  brought  him 
out  of  his  absorption. 

"  Well  —  what  do  you  think  of  it?  " 

"  They  are  dogs,"  said  the  boy  contemptuously. 
"  It  is  best  to  shoot  them  all  —  Dogs,"  he  cried 
in  his  shrill  voice,  displacing  a  small  piece  of 
brick  and  hurling  it  down. 

His  master  shook  his  head. 

"  There  is  no  one  to  deal  with  them,  no  one  to 
shoot." 

So  they  remained  watching.  At  last  ex- 
hausted by  their  efforts,  the  great  mob  gradually 
ceased  their  crying.  Deep  silence  ensued,  only 
occasionally  interrupted  by  some  loud  explosion 
in  the  distance  as  a  roof  fell  in. 


CHAPTER  XV 

DEEP  calm  followed  that  night.     It  was 
so    calm    the    next    morning    that    it 
seemed  unnatural.     Hardly  a  soul  was 
abroad  in  the  foreign  quarter;  and  apart  from 
some  dozing  foreign  sentries  at  the  street-cor- 
ners, the  whole  neighbourhood  seemed  deserted 
—  particularly   that   broad   leafy   thoroughfare 
called  in  the  vernacular  "  The  People's  Com- 
munication,"   along   which   were   grouped    the 
foreigners'  houses. 

A  great  exodus  of  the  inhabitants  had  indeed 
taken  place  during  the  hours  after  dawn;  and 
even  now  it  was  possible  in  the  side-lanes  to  see 
the  last  little  groups  of  blue-coated  people  slink- 
ing away  —  determined  to  seek  safety  no  matter 
how  far  they  had  to  go.  The  foreigner  was  all 
very  well  in  times  of  peace.  He  was  a  good  pay- 
master and  worth  cultivating.  But  in  the  face 
of  murder  and  outrage,  money  lost  its  value,  and 
safety  was  the  only  consideration. 

Wang  the  Ninth,  after  a  short  troubled  sleep, 

130 


WANG   THE    NINTH  131 

had  gone  out  and  picked  up  these  facts  for  him- 
self. By  his  system  of  gossiping  with  all  and 
sundry,  he  knew  in  a  few  minutes  everything 
that  had  taken  place.  Marvellous  tales  were  re- 
counted to  him,  gross  and  palpable  exaggera- 
tions all  cast  in  the  same  mould  of  fear.  .  .  .  And 
yet  these  are  the  things  people  believe  in  times 
of  excitement,  and  he  believed  them  too.  At 
last  having  exhausted  the  subject  he  returned 
home,  only  to  find  that  all  his  mates,  excepting 
one,  had  deserted  the  stables  during  his  absence. 

He  stood  dumbfounded  for  quite  a  minute  by 
this  development. 

"  Here's  a  nice  business,"  he  remarked  aloud, 
scratching  his  ugly  face  thoughtfully  and  coiling 
up  his  little  queue  tightly  round  his  head  as  a 
sign  that  he  was  going  to  set  to  work.  "  We 
have  nine  ponies  and  there  are  two  of  us  left. 
Where  have  these  eaters  of  foreign  rice  gone?  " 

The  remaining  man  said  nothing.  He  went  on 
morosely  sweeping  the  cobblestones.  It  was 
only  the  fact  that  he  came  from  a  distant  prov- 
ince that  had  prevented  him  from  running  at 
once.  But  he  was  meditating  flight  as  he  worked 
—  that  was  plain. 


132  WANG   THE    NINTH 

The  boy,  reading  these  things  in  his  sullenness, 
eyed  him  distastefully. 

"  Tomorrow,  if  not  before,  I  shall  be  alone," 
he  announced,  "  Well,  I  shall  be  the  senior  then, 
with  no  small-hearted  fellows  to  show  how  much 
fear  there  is  about." 

The  man  took  a  step  in  his  direction. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  he  blurted  out,  making 
a  threatening  gesture. 

For  reply  the  boy  coolly  picked  up  a  pitchfork, 
and  assumed  a  defiant  attitude.  He  was  nearly 
sixteen  now,  and  although  small  was  muscular 
and  as  quick  as  lightning. 

"  What  is  your  Honourable  intention?  "  he  in- 
quired mockingly,  making  a  thrust  or  two  in  the 
air  in  the  manner  of  native  gymnasts  as  if  he 
proposed  to  impale  his  adversary.  "  Do  you 
wish  to  fight?  " 

The  man  eyed  him  for  a  few  seconds.  Then, 
in  the  face  of  this  determined  attitude,  he  re- 
treated, cursing  his  opponent  under  his  breath. 
Wang  the  Ninth  threw  down  his  pitchfork  and 
went  on  with  his  work. 

"A   dog  like  the   rest,"   he  remarked,   now 


WANG   THE   NINTH  133 

thoroughly  aroused.  "  He  will  disappear  too. 
Who  cares!  Look  here  —  you  fellow  —  come 
near  me  again  and  I  will  hurl  a  brick  in  your 
face.  Such  as  you  are  not  required  —  your 
places  will  be  filled  when  the  appointed  hour 
comes." 

He  began  mixing  the  feed  in  basket  after 
basket  with  the  skill  of  long  practice.  The 
ponies,  tied  to  a  long  rope  stretched  across  the 
stable-yard,  eyed  this  process  anxiously  with 
much  whinnying  and  stamping  of  hoofs. 

When  he  had  finished  he  was  tired  and  sweat- 
ing profusely,  but  pride  kept  him  from  con- 
fessing that  the  work  was  too  much.  He  seated 
himself  on  a  watering-trough,  and  stripping  off 
his  well-worn  coat,  pinched  the  brown  skin  on 
his  arms  and  chest  in  a  mechanical  way.  Pres- 
ently he  sighed  as  he  realized  that  the  last  man 
had  also  disappeared. 

"  It's  a  bad  business,"  he  remarked  aloud. 

"  What's  a  bad  business?  "  said  his  master, 
appearing  a  little  unexpectedly,  and  making  him 
scramble  to  his  feet.  For  the  steward  having 
been  informed  by  the  gatekeeper  that  the  others 


134  WANG   THE    NINTH 

had  left,  had  communicated  the  information  to 
the  master  in  the  non-committal  form  that  there 
was  "  trouble  in  the  stables." 

"  The  others  have  fled,"  announced  the  boy  in 
his  democratic  manner.  "  I  was  just  thinking 
aloud  that  it  would  be  no  easy  matter  to  attend 
to  my  work,  Your  Honour." 

His  master  reflected  a  bit  and  then  said : 

"  It  is  unimportant.  All  these  ponies  will  be 
taken  away  soon.  They  will  be  wanted  as 
food." 

"  As  food ! "  echoed  this  child  of  the  Chinese 
ghetto,  his  eyes  round  with  astonishment  and 
his  squat,  flat  nose  pointing  upwards. 

"  We  will  all  be  hungry  soon  enough,"  was  the 
master's  grim  rejoinder. 

Then  he  was  silent  for  a  long  while  as  he 
looked  at  the  ponies  and  patted  one  or  two,  say- 
ing at  last : 

"  Stay  here  until  our  soldiers  come  this  eve- 
ning to  lead  the  ponies  away.  When  that  is 
over,  come  and  find  me." 

In  the  evening  the  foreign  soldiers  came  —  a 
small  party  who  spoke  not  a  word  of  the  lan- 
guage of  the  country.  But  they  consulted  a 


WANG   THE   NINTH          135 

paper,  and  then  held  up  nine  fingers  and  slapped 
Wang  the  Ninth  on  the  back  and  pointed  into 
the  stables,  all  of  which  was  very  intelligible  to 
him. 

" Li-t'ou  (in  there),"  he  said,  nodding  vigour- 
ously  and  laughing  at  them.  Three  men  de- 
tached themselves  from  the  others  and  each  came 
out  in  a  minute  leading  three  animals. 

When  the  party  had  gone  and  the  stables  were 
completely  empty,  the  boy  felt  depressed  —  he 
was  no  longer  "high-hearted"  as  he  expressed 
it.  Not  that  he  was  lonely.  No  Chinese  is  ever 
really  lonely  although,  paradoxically,  they  are 
the  most  gregarious  race  on  earth.  But  this 
dropping  away  of  everybody  impressed  him  un- 
favourably. It  had  the  flavour  of  ruin  about  it 
—  it  was  like  the  loss  of  much  money.  He  re- 
membered his  master's  injunction  to  seek  him 
as  soon  as  the  ponies  were  gone;  but  somehow 
he  had  no  desire  to  move. 

He  went  into  his  tiny  sleeping  place,  and 
fetched  out  from  under  the  coverlet  a  little  bam- 
boo flute;  and  seating  himself  on  the  watering- 
trough,  with  his  knees  drawn  up  under  him  and 
his  elbows  resting  on  them,  began  playing  frag- 


136  WANG   THE    NINTH 

ments  of  plaintive  tunes  picked  up  in  days  gone 
by.  He  kept  this  up  for  a  long  time  repeating 
little  trills  and  mournful  notes  because  they  gave 
him  odd  pleasure.  In  the  growing  dusk  the 
sparrows  hopped  nearer  and  nearer,  stealing 
grain  that  had  fallen  on  the  cobblestones  from 
the  last  feed  he  had  mixed,  and  never  paying  any 
attention  to  him  and  his  music.  They  fitted  into 
the  evening  as  a  shadow  fits  under  a  tree,  and 
were  there  because  the  tree  was  there. 

At  last  he  tired  of  it,  and  desisted.  Quickly 
he  cooked  his  evening  meal  of  millet  and  cabbage, 
and  boiled  some  tea.  When  he  had  finished  he 
changed  his  tunic  and  put  on  his  foreign  hat  and 
his  riding-gaiters. 

"  It  is  time,"  he  announced  to  himself. 

He  went  off  slowly,  stopping  whenever  any- 
thing attracted  his  attention,  and  playing  for  a 
few  minutes  with  a  dog.  But  presently,  in  spite 
of  these  delays,  he  reached  the  house  and  slowly 
walked  round  to  the  back. 

He  peered  into  the  kitchen  and  the  pantry, 
but  everybody  was  busy.  The  master  was  al- 
ready having  dinner  and  there  were  guests.  In 
the  most  indifferent  manner  he  marched  to  the 


WANG   THE    NINTH  137 

front  of  the  house ;  then  on  to  the  verandah  out- 
side the  dining-room. 

The  master  was  sitting  at  the  head  of  the 
table;  with  him  were  five  or  six  foreign  gentle- 
men, all  eating  and  drinking  and  talking  and 
waving  their  hands. 

He  coughed  and  moved  forward  into  the  light. 

"  Who  is  that?  "  called  the  master. 

"  It  is  I,"  he  said,  stepping  into  the  room  and 
standing  there  without  awkwardness.  "  The 
foreign  soldiers  have  taken  away  the  ponies  as 
ordered  and  now  I  await  fresh  commands." 

He  noted  without  surprise  that  the  guests  had 
firearms  with  them  and  that  the  dinner  was  be- 
ing served  not  by  the  steward  and  his  assistants, 
but  by  two  coolies  who  were  working  awkwardly 
and  noisily.  He  had  the  feeling  that  the  natural 
order  of  things  had  come  to  an  end. 

The  master  was  explaining  to  the  others  some- 
thing about  him;  but  his  foreign  talk  was  un- 
intelligible to  the  boy.  He  guessed,  however, 
that  it  was  not  to  his  discredit  from  the  glances 
cast  at  him.  He  fidgetted  a  bit,  more  because 
he  was  unaccustomed  to  standing  still  than  from 
any  other  feeling. 


138          WANG   THE   NINTH 

"I  have  just  been  telling  these  gentlemen," 
said  his  master  at  length,  "  that  you  are  worthy 
of  confidence  because  you  have  not  run  off. 
From  today  you  will  be  paid  a  man's  full  wages." 

The  boy  flushed: 

"  Money  is  unimportant.  I  am  content  to  re- 
main because  it  would  be  foolish  for  me  to  go 
away." 

The  master  shook  his  head : 

"  Nevertheless  you  shall  be  paid  as  a  man. 
These  are  your  duties  for  the  time  being.  To 
watch  and  report  all  you  can  find  out.  Find  me 
and  tell  me  everything  you  can  learn.  Do  you 
understand?  " 

"  Yes,  your  honour,"  said  the  boy  very  gravely. 
"That  is  all?" 

When  he  was  safe  by  himself  in  the  darkness 
of  the  compound  the  boy  gave  a  hop,  skip,  and  a 
jump,  and  then  rushed  madly  round  as  if  he  were 
a  four-footed  animal. 

He  was  to  get  man's  pay  and  to  do  as  he 
pleased.  This  meant  at  least  eight  dollars  a 
month  —  eight  dollars  when  he  had  been  only 
getting  three. 

It  was  almost  greater  than  he  could  bear. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WHAT  happened  subsequently  came 
to  the  boy  in  a  succession  of  odd  sur- 
prises which  he  did  not  attempt  to 
correlate.  Camps  sprang  up  in  the  night  round 
the  foreign  quarter  like  crops  of  mushrooms. 
The  soldiers,  their  black  turbans  loosely  tied 
round  their  heads  and  their  gaily  coloured  tunics 
open  on  their  chests,  were  of  a  different  breed 
from  any  he  had  seen  before.  Sun-blackened, 
rough  and  defiant,  they  brought  fear  to  every  one 
and  no  one  dared  to  venture  near. 

"  It  is  curious,"  remarked  the  boy  to  a  chance 
acquaintance,  "  that  these  should  be  our  own 
people." 

In  his  eyes  they  had  become  a  symbol  of  dis- 
aster —  something  he  had  never  reckoned  with 
—  particularly  the  small  cannon  ranged  threat- 
eningly at  two  or  three  points  with  a  stack  of 
solid  shot  piled  behind.  He  did  not  understand 
why  the  world  should  be  turned  so  topsy-turvy. 

One  day,  when  he  was  out  watching  one  of 

1S9 


140  WANG    THE    NINTH 

these  camps,  there  was  a  general  stir,  and  the 
men  streamed  off  in  hundreds  in  one  direction. 
In  his  eagerness  to  learn  what  it  was  he  went  as 
close  as  he  dared.  At  length  the  crowd  parted 
and  then  quite  distinctly  he  saw  two  men  of  the 
Sword  Society  in  their  blood-red  regalia  carry- 
ing a  human  head  by  the  queue.  They  swung  it 
about  as  they  walked  so  that  every  one  could  see 
it. 

He  stared  as  if  hypnotized.  The  two  ruffians 
strutted  boastfully  along  followed  by  the  sol- 
diery. He  guessed  that  they  were  visiting  the 
camp  in  order  to  infect  the  men  with  their  own 
anarchy.  He  was  not  educated  enough  to  won- 
der how  it  came  to  pass  that  in  the  middle  of  a 
great  capital,  with  a  vast  Palace  in  the  centre, 
and  with  Emperor  and  the  Empresses  seated 
within,  assassins  should  hold  such  sway.  So  he 
remained  just  watching  and  wondering.  And 
when  the  ruffians  with  their  hideous  trophy  had 
disappeared  and  there  was  nothing  more  to  ob- 
serve, very  slowly  and  very  gravely,  he  rose  to 
his  feet  (for  he  had  been  lying  down),  and  made 
his  way  back  through  a  deserted  alley-way. 

At  the  end  of  the  alley-way  there  was  a  foreign 


WANG    THE    NINTH  141 

sentry,  and  as  he  had  seen  him  only  an  hour  be- 
fore, there  was  no  occasion  for  him  to  be  identi- 
fied. Nevertheless  he  drew  from  his  belt  his 
pass  —  a  bit  of  paper  in  a  foreign  language  with 
a  seal  on  it  which  always  gave  him  a  sense  of  im- 
portance. 

"  T'ai-to  ping  (there  are  many  troops),"  he 
repeated  several  times,  pointing  to  the  spot  he 
had  come  from;  and  then  he  explained  by  signs 
that  there  were  guns  as  well.  Then  with  a  wave 
of  the  hand  he  was  off  to  find  his  master  and  re- 
port what  he  had  seen. 

He  ran  him  down  in  a  few  minutes  since  all 
white  men  are  as  easily  traceable  in  the  East  as 
treasure-chests  lying  on  a  sea-shore.  He  was 
superintending  the  building  of  a  long  barricade, 
and  labouring  there  were  all  sorts  and  condi- 
tions of  men  —  foreigners  in  their  shirt-sleeves, 
servants  and  respectable  people  who  worked  to- 
gether in  silence. 

The  master  listened  in  silence  to  his  tale, 
stroking  his  red  beard. 

"  Good,"  he  said  at  length,  "  now  go  off  in 
another  direction,  and  see  if  it  is  the  same  thing." 

Once  beyond  this  scene  of  activity  the  boy's 


142  WANG   THE   NINTH 

easy  manners  fled,  and  he  displayed  caution ;  for 
all  the  time  be  it  confessed  he  was  thinking  of 
that  ghastly  human  head.  He  hugged  the  com- 
pound-walls of  every  deserted  house  and  never 
failed  to  peer  round  each  turning.  And  just  as 
he  was  congratulating  himself  on  his  methods, 
he  became  vaguely  aware  that  some  one  was 
looking  at  him  down  a  rifle-barrel. 

He  scurried  into  a  doorway,  a  little  fright- 
ened in  spite  of  his  natural  courage.  But  after 
an  interval  his  curiosity  got  the  better  of  him 
and  he  determined  to  try  a  new  line  of  advance 
and  see  who  this  person  was. 

This  was  certainly  a  new  development,  he 
thought.  So  far  the  terrorist  methods  used  had 
been  employed  under  cover  of  the  dark,  and  the 
decencies  of  everyday  life  had  been  more  or  less 
preserved.  But  now  the  soldiery  were  evidently 
getting  out  of  hand;  and  it  seemed  that  at  any 
moment  they  might  open  an  attack. 

By  this  time  he  had  worked  round  to  another 
vantage-point.  Very  quietly  and  carefully  he 
climbed  a  tree  and  looked  over.  There  was  the 
man  not  fifty  feet  away.  He  was  lying  on  his 
stomach  with  some  loose  bricks  piled  in  front  of 


WANG   THE   NINTH  143 

his  head,  and  he  had  on  the  blood-red  sash.  He 
was  a  marauder  evidently  waiting  to  secure  a 
foreigner's  head,  not  a  regular  soldier. 

He  remained  motionless  in  the  tree  observing 
this  ominous  figure  for  quite  five  minutes.  Then 
silently  and  swiftly  he  dropped  to  the  ground. 
Now  doggedly,  with  his  head  down  and  his  fists 
tightly  clenched  he  made  his  way  onward.  He 
threaded  his  way  through  a  maze  of  little  de- 
serted lanes  until  he  came  out  on  the  vast  open 
street  running  round  the  Imperial  Palaces. 

He  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  Here  there  were  peo- 
ple moving  —  not  many  but  still  some  —  and  to- 
wards them  he  walked  quickly  as  though  he 
craved  their  company. 

Two  men  had  stopped  and  were  exchanging 
comments  as  he  approached.  He  judged  from 
the  blue  cloth  bundles  they  carried  that  they 
were  official  servants  from  some  yamen,  and  that 
their  conical  hats  and  high  boots  of  office  had 
just  been  exchanged  for  a  more  plebeian  attire. 

"  Where  do  you  come  from?  "  said  one  of  them, 
suddenly  catching  him  by  the  shoulder,  and  look- 
ing angrily  at  his  feet  which  were  still  shod  in  a 
pair  of  foreign  shoes. 


144  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"  From  the  East  city,"  he  rejoined  easily  and 
fluently,  pointing  behind  him  and  finding  his 
tongue  at  once.  "  I  have  been  sent  to  find  my 
uncle  who  keeps  a  lantern-shop  near  the  Western 
Four  Arches,  as  we  are  all  intimidated  by  the 
signs  of  the  approaching  battle." 

The  man  looked  at  him  suspiciously. 

"  And  those  shoes?  " 

"My  brother  robbed  them  from  one  of  the 
cursed  foreigners,  and  as  my  own  were  broken 
I  put  them  on." 

"  Take  them  off !  "  exclaimed  the  two  together. 

The  boy  hesitated.  Then  with  a  muttered 
word  he  stooped  down  and  flung  them  one  by  one 
far  into  the  roadway. 

"  That  is  good,"  grunted  one  of  the  men,  "  it 
is  lucky  you  met  us  instead  of  a  member  of  the 
Sword  Society.  He  would  have  given  you  short 
shrift.  Everything  foreign  must  indeed  be 
blotted  out." 

The  second  man,  however,  commented  on  this 
in  the  following  manner: 

"  But  there  is  said  to  be  a  foreign  army  only 
thirty  miles  away.  If  they  get  into  the  city  it 
will  not  go  well  with  us." 


WANG    THE    NINTH  145 

The  boy  picked  up  this  morsel  of  information 
ravenously  and  stored  it  in  his  mind. 

"  Our  people  will  never  allow  them  to  ad- 
vance," objected  the  first  man. 

"  There  has  been  continuous  fighting  for  sev- 
eral days,  and  they  will  doubtlessly  soon  be 
driven  back,"  agreed  the  second  speaker,  unwil- 
ling to  be  identified  with  any  pessimism. 

"  Enough,"  said  his  companion.  "  Let  us 
hasten  on.  It  will  soon  be  dark." 

Once  again  the  boy  was  left  to  his  own  de- 
vices. As  soon  as  they  had  turned  a  corner  he 
went  and  picked  up  his  shoes  and  seated  himself 
with  his  back  to  the  Palace  wall  waiting  for  dark- 
ness. 

Here  was  the  whole  problem  made  clear  at 
last.  The  cat  was  only  playing  with  the  mouse. 
Until  it  had  been  made  certain  that  the  mouse 
could  not  escape  —  that  is  until  the  foreign  army 
had  been  driven  away,  nothing  would  be  done 
against  the  foreigners  in  the  capital.  The  re- 
lieving army  must  be  dealt  with  first. 

The  boy  threw  a  stone  angrily  at  some  crows. 
Why  shouldn't  he  run  away,  too?  He  played 
with  the  thought,  and  though  he  rejected  it,  it 


146  WANG    THE    NINTH 

came  back  again  and  again.  If  they  were  all  to 
be  killed,  he  should  go  whilst  there  was  yet 
time. 

He  struck  his  foot  sharply  down  on  the  ground. 
No  —  he  would  not  do  it.  He  would  go  back. 
He  had  been  trusted  and  he  would  not  fail  his 
trust.  So  when  it  was  safe  and  quiet  he  crept 
back  and  reported  what  he  had  learnt. 

After  that  days  went  by  silently,  days  re- 
sembling one  another  as  do  peas  from  the  same 
pod.  They  were  beleaguered  and  yet  not  be- 
leaguered; surrounded  and  yet  not  surrounded; 
imprisoned  and  still  free.  People  cautiously 
slipped  in  and  out,  and  kept  in  touch  with  the 
great  city,  and  brought  in  food  and  news.  Yet 
in  spite  of  this,  a  heavy  and  depressing  pall  hung 
over  the  foreign  quarter  as  though  it  contained 
only  condemned  persons.  Men  talked  to  one  an- 
other in  low  voices  as  if  they  were  afraid  of  be- 
ing overheard.  The  slightest  uncustomary 
sound  made  them  start  up  and  strain  their  ears, 
so  that  they  might  have  the  earliest  inkling  of 
disaster. 

Sometimes  Wang  the  Ninth  was  infinitely  de- 
pressed by  this  paralyzed  life.     He  would  sit 


WANG    THE    NINTH  147 

idly  in  a  hidden  corner  with  his  knees  drawn 
sharply  up  and  his  head  between  his  hands, 
silently  commiserating  with  himself  as  he 
thought  over  the  myriad  rumours,  and  wonder- 
ing if  he  had  not  been  an  arrant  fool  not  to  run 
away  as  his  mates  had  done.  After  all  he  had 
only  been  in  foreign  service  less  than  two  years. 
He  did  not  owe  so  much.  He  was  not  like  those 
who  had  lived  half  a  lifetime  among  foreigners 
and  been  converted  to  their  faith.  He  did  not 
want  to  be  killed  and  have  his  head  carried 
around.  His  compatriots,  who  had  not  run 
away,  were  continually  using  that  gloomy  and 
resigned  expression :  fei-tei-ssu  — "  we  shall 
surely  die."  That  passivity  always  brought  him 
excitedly  to  his  feet  like  a  shot  fired  in  his  ear. 

"  Wo-pu-ssu  (I  shall  not  die),"  he  used  to  re- 
join defiantly.  "  I  shall  find  a  way  —  you  see." 

Then  he  would  march  off  with  his  fists  ener- 
getically clenched  and  his  ugly  features  drawn-up 
in  a  frown,  walking  with  long,  unnatural  strides 
like  the  foreigners  walked;  and  the  strangers 
would  ask  who  was  this  boy  who  did  not  hesitate 
to  express  his  opinions  so  rudely  in  contradic- 
tion to  his  seniors. 


148  WANG    THE    NINTH 

After  a  number  of  days  something  did  hap- 
pen. There  was  a  terrible  commotion,  and  the 
boy  stood  literally  with  his  mouth  opeu  because 
certain  foreigners  —  a  race  he  thought  above 
common  human  emotions  —  ran  from  house  to 
house  as  if  possessed  and  cried  out  words  which 
seemed  to  him  like  the  words  of  fear. 

The  news  leaked  out  soon  enough  so  that 
every  one  knew  it.  Twenty-four  hours  had  been 
given  the  foreigners  to  leave  —  they  were  sum- 
marily ordered  away,  men,  women  and  children 
irrespective  of  rank  and  occupation.  Failing 
compliance  they  would  be  driven  away  by  gun- 
fire. That  was  the  Imperial  pleasure. 

Wang  the  Ninth  went  blankly  among  his  com- 
patriots trying  to  find  out  whether  it  was  flight 
or  not.  He  heard  it  said  that  carts  were  being 
requisitioned  by  some  foreigners  for  great  sums 
of  money ;  then  almost  immediately  he  heard  the 
story  denied.  Some  one  had  ruled  that  it  would 
be  more  dangerous  to  flee  than  to  stay.  They 
must  stay,  it  was  said.  He  had  the  feeling  that 
the  mystery  was  beyond  solution.  It  was  evi- 
dently quite  impossible  to  know  what  was  going 


WANG   THE    NINTH  149 

to  happen.  Even  his  master  shook  his  head. 
Nobody  knew  anything  worth  knowing. 

That  nigbt  passed  in  confusion. 

They  were  half-way  through  the  next  morning 
when  everybody  cried  that  one  of  the  important 
foreigners  had  gone  out  and  been  summarily 
killed. 

After  that  for  several  hours  there  was  a  great 
tide  of  weeping  and  running  about,  and  the  boy 
felt  lost.  Nobody  paid  the  slightest  attention  to 
him :  every  one  seemed  dazed.  In  the  afternoon, 
when  things  were  quieter,  the  sharp  crack  of 
rifles  sounded  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
he  heard  the  hard  vicious  flight  of  bullets. 
After  some  momentary  fear,  his  natural  audac- 
ity slowly  returned,  and  he  stole  near  the  bar- 
ricades trying  to  find  out  who  was  firing  and  at 
whom.  Stray  shots  had  hit  two  of  the  foreign 
soldiers  at  the  barricades  and  also  two  of  his 
fellow-countrymen,  who  sat  nursing  their  hurts 
like  men  infinitely  surprised. 

He  was  sent  for  water  for  one  of  the  wounded 
soldiers;  and  when  he  came  back  he  was  just  in 
time  to  see  a  foreign  doctor  make  a  neat  cut  in 


150  WANG    THE    NINTH 

the  wounded  man's  arm,  and  to  the  sound  of 
tremendous  foreign  curses  pull  out  a  thin  slip 
of  a  bullet  with  a  pair  of  forceps  —  a  bullet 
which  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand  and  ex- 
amined as  closely  as  though  it  were  a  jewel. 

This  facility  of  curing  a  wound  delighted 
him.  He  went  round  telling  his  compatriots 
that  so  long  as  they  did  not  go  through  your 
head,  these  vaunted  bullets  were  not  so  terrible 
after  all,  as  the  foreign  doctors  could  pull  them 
out  at  will. 

But  about  midnight  a  big  gun  started  booming 
and  woke  him  up  instantly.  He  was  too  fright- 
ened by  the  noise  to  do  more  than  to  lie  listen- 
ing. He  wondered  whether  the  shells  when  they 
fell  were  more  terrible  than  the  bullets. 

It  continued  in  this  way  until  he  lost  all  his 
earlier  sensations.  He  even  managed  to  sum- 
mon up  a  certain  contempt  for  the  cannon  which 
were  old-fashioned  and  could  do  little  more  than 
frighten  people,  he  was  told.  He  almost  enjoyed 
the  strange  life  since  there  were  many  exciting 
moments  and  many  people  to  talk  to.  He  was 
constantly  used  to  carry  messages  from  point 
to  point  and  whenever  any  of  his  compatriots 


WANG   THE    NINTH  151 

asked  for  information  he  would  boldly  answer: 
"  I  will  tell  you  exactly  how  things  are.  Many 
thousands  are  engaged  in  firing  their  rifles  at  us, 
but  my  master  says  it  cannot  get  any  worse  and 
presently  a  foreign  army  will  certainly  arrive." 

The  sound  of  rifle-fire  ceased  to  attract  any 
attention  even  among  the  women  and  children, 
save  when  it  rose  to  a  great  roar  at  night. 
Once  there  was  great  alarm  about  a  fire.  As  the 
wind  was  blowing  and  it  was  very  dry  and  hot, 
some  thought  the  whole  area  might  be  consumed. 
But  the  fire  burnt  out  and  that  also  was  forgot- 
ten. 

Wang  the  Ninth  was  no  longer  allowed  any 
longer  to  go  to  the  barricades  —  in  spite  of  his 
privileged  position,  because  it  was  too  dangerous. 
Once  being  anxious  to  see  the  outer  aspect  of 
things  he  crept  up  the  towering  city  wall  where 
there  were  many  foreign  soldiers;  but  one  gave 
him  a  cuff  over  the  ear  and  told  him  to  get  down. 
But  he  managed  to  get  back  in  a  few  minutes  by 
the  simple  method  of  volunteering  to  carry  up 
a  sack  of  provisions  for  some  other  soldiers. 

The  soldier  who  had  cuffed  him  was  greatly 
amused  to  see  him  back  in  such  a  capacity.  This 


152  WANG   THE    NINTH 

time,  instead  of  hitting  at  him,  he  slapped  him  on 
the  shoulder  as  if  he  were  a  friend  and  gave  him 
a  black  cigarette  to  smoke.  When  his  cigarette 
was  finished,  as  repayment  he  commenced  sing- 
ing in  a  shrill  falsetto  a  singing  girl's  song 
which  made  him  the  hero  of  the  hour  as  he  pre- 
tended to  be  a  small-footed  woman  who  was 
bashful  and  who  tottered  in  shame  at  the  mere 
presence  of  so  many  men. 

These  amenities  were  suddenly  arrested  by  a 
succession  of  sharp  sounds  in  the  air  which  he 
knew  too  well.  All  the  soldiers  ran  for  their 
rifles  and  lay  down  behind  the  barricade.  Pres- 
ently they  began  firing;  and  the  boy,  crawling 
right  up  to  them  on  his  stomach,  asked  permis- 
sion in  the  sign  language  to  look  through  a  loop- 
hole. This  was  duly  given  him;  and  rapidly  he 
thrust  a  sharp  eye  up  to  a  crack,  with  a  loose 
brick  in  his  hand  to  mask  his  face  as  he  saw  the 
soldiers  do. 

For  a  long  time  he  could  see  very  little  and 
he  wondered  at  whom  so  many  shots  had  been 
fired.  Then,  slowly,  he  became  aware  that  just 
as  they  had  barricades  so  had  the  others.  Only 
the  enemy  had  made  his  very  low,  and  had  taken 


WANG   THE    NINTH  153 

such  advantage  of  the  shrubbery  that  only  at 
rare  intervals  was  it  possible  to  see  some  vague 
movement  or  the  flash  of  a  firearm. 

After  an  hour  or  so  this  ceased  to  be  exciting 
and  he  abandoned  his  loophole.  The  soldiers 
were  all  lying  on  their  backs  again  and  talking 
to  one  another,  save  for  a  look-out  who  knelt 
unmoving,  peering  fixedly  for  signs  of  further 
activity.  The  bullets  hissing  over-head  sped 
over  so  far  away.  Sometimes  they  raised  little 
powder-puffs  as  they  struck  brickwork  or  soil 
hundreds  of  yards  beyond  their  mark,  but  more 
often  they  disappeared  into  the  unknown. 
Nevertheless  the  soldiers  would  not  let  him  go 
down  from  the  city  wall.  He  gathered  from 
their  signs  that  if  he  did  so  he  might  be  seen  and 
draw  the  enemy's  fire.  He  would  have  to  wait 
until  dark,  they  said,  pointing  to  the  sun. 

That  night,  however,  he  never  moved  either. 
For  after  he  had  assisted  the  men  lighting  little 
fires  on  which  they  boiled  their  kettles,  one  sol- 
dier took  him  aside,  and  drew  out  a  big  black 
bottle  from  his  pack  and  poured  out  a  cup-full 
of  strong  spirits.  He  had  one  drink  himself  and 
then  offered  the  next  to  the  boy,  who  to  show  his 


154  WANG    THE    NINTH 

familiarity  with  foreign  things  swigged  it  down 
quickly  although  it  nearly  choked  him.  After 
that  he  became  so  sleepy  that  he  lay  down. 

When  he  woke  he  found  that  a  lot  of  foreigners 
who  were  not  soldiers  had  come  up  on  the  wall. 
They  were  scanning  the  southern  horizon  with 
telescopes  and  field-glasses.  When  they  could 
see  no  signals  in  the  night  they  drifted  away  and 
gradually  it  became  silent  and  peaceful  and  he 
was  left  to  himself. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SOME  time  later  he  was  sitting  with  some 
newly-made  friends,  who  had  come  in  for 
protection  because  they  had  received 
foreign  religion.  They  had  built  a  sort  of  rude 
hut  which  he  found  enchanting  because  it  was 
under  a  big  tree  and  contained  all  the  disjecta- 
membra  of  a  disrupted  household  and  he  was 
just  in  the  middle  of  a  long  conversation,  when 
a  messenger  ran  him  to  earth. 

"  The  master  is  looking  for  you,"  he  was  told. 

The  summons  was  so  urgent  that  he  made  his 
way  off  without  a  word.  He  was  certainly  go- 
ing to  be  taken  to  task  for  the  shiftless  life 
into  which  he  had  fallen,  sleeping  wherever  he 
might  be  and  having  his  food  with  any  one  who 
was  good  enough  to  offer  him  a  bowl.  He  tried 
to  think  of  a  good,  plausible  way  of  describing 
what  he  was  doing ;  but  for  some  reason  his  ex- 
cuses did  not  seem  to  him  very  good.  His 
stained  blue  cotton  coat,  his  muddy  trousers  and 
his  torn  shoes  made  him  look  a  veritable  raga- 

165 


156  WANG    THE    NINTH 

muffin;  and  when  he  arrived  at  his  destination 
and  found  a  number  of  foreign  gentlemen  sitting 
together  at  a  table  his  awkwardness  redoubled. 
He  wracked  his  brains  in  a  vain  effort  to  dis- 
cover what  was  going  to  happen  to  him. 

Presently  his  master,  who  was  inside  a  house 
came  out  with  a  large  sheet  of  paper  in  his  hand. 
Then  he  saw  all  the  foreigners  put  their  heads 
together  and  talk  for  a  long  time  arguing  so 
earnestly  that  he  began  to  realize  that  it  was  a 
matter  of  great  moment.  More  paper  was  req- 
uisitioned, and  several  began  writing  while  the 
others  talked. 

He  watched  them  intently,  trying  to  pick  up 
what  it  was  all  about  by  their  manner  and  their 
gestures  since  he  could  not  understand  a  word. 
Through  the  open  window,  behind  the  group,  he 
could  see  in  the  room  of  the  house  a  piece  of 
embroidery  spread  on  a  chair  which  had  a  golden 
dragon  on  it.  A  ray  of  sunlight,  striking  in 
through  the  window,  lit  up  the  dragon  in  an 
amazing  way  and  made  it  flash  and  gleam,  as  if 
it  lived  and  moved.  It  amused  him  to  study 
it.  All  these  fine  things  would  speedily  disap- 
pear, he  mused,  if  the  foreigners  decided  to  go 


WANG   THE    NINTH  157 

away  —  everything  would  be  stripped  in  a  flash. 
He  himself  would  like  to  own  that  fine 
dragon.  .  .  . 

A  general  movement  of  chairs  snapped  the 
thread  of  his  thoughts.  The  foreigners  seemed 
to  have  made  up  their  minds.  For  nobody  spoke 
any  more,  and  his  master  had  folded  up  his  pa- 
pers. Now  they  all  looked  at  him  and  made  re- 
marks in  undertones. 

The  boy  forgot  about  the  dragon  and  shifted 
uneasily  from  one  foot  to  the  other. 

"  Wang  the  Ninth/'  said  his  master  at  last  in 
the  vernacular,  addressing  him  in  the  familiar 
local  way  and  looking  at  his  soiled  figure  very 
earnestly.  "  We  have  a  very  important  request 
to  make  to  you." 

"  Yes,  your  Honour,"  he  replied  at  once. 

The  language  used  was  so  peculiar  that  he  was 
flustered.  It  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  that 
any  one  had  "  requested  him."  Hitherto  he  had 
always  been  summarily  ordered.  What  did  it 
mean? 

"  There  is  no  question  of  obeying  or  not  obey- 
ing," continued  the  master.  "  It  is  a  matter  for 
your  free  choice.  If  you  accept  and  are  sue- 


158  WANG    THE    NINTH 

cessful  you  will  be  given  as  much  money  as  you 
like  —  a  great  deal  of  money.  In  fact  you  may 
claim  what  you  like.  Do  you  understand?  " 

"  Money  is  unimportant,"  rejoined  the  boy 
stolidly,  dealing  with  the  only  point  that  was 
intelligible  to  him.  "  If  I  can  perform  the  task 
it  shall  be  freely  done." 

He  stood  with  his  face  very  tense  waiting  to 
hear  what  was  the  ordeal.  This  was  indeed  very 
different  from  what  he  had  first  imagined. 

The  master  said  a  few  words  to  the  other 
gentlemen  in  an  undertone.  Then  he  resumed 
the  vernacular,  using  the  short  clipped  sentences 
of  the  people,  which  are  very  emphatic  and  pre- 
cise. 

"  Listen.  It  is  time  that  you  knew  the  truth. 
Already  many  days  have  gone  by  with  this  battle 
raging  round  us,  and  with  all  communication  cut 
off.  Two  weeks  ago,  according  to  messages  re- 
ceived by  us,  the  foreign  army  should  have  ar- 
rived. Why  has  it  not  come  —  who  is  arresting 
its  progress?  We  must  know  how  long  we  have 
to  wait.  An  answer  is  imperative.  Counting 
all  who  are  here,  those  who  were  in  residence 


WANG    THE    NINTH  159 

originally,  and  those  who  have  come  for  protec- 
tion, there  are  more  than  three  thousand  mouths 
to  feed.  Already  food  is  insufficient  and  many 
are  suffering.  Our  condition  must  be  made 
known  to  those  who  are  delaying  their  advance 
—  otherwise  it  may  be  too  late.  Do  you  under- 
stand? " 

The  boy  nodded,  a  queer  light  coming  into  his 
eyes.  Now  his  lips  remain  parted  expectantly. 

"  Yes,  your  Honour,"  he  said  mechanically. 

"  Well,"  said  the  master,  "  we  have  cast  about 
for  a  suitable  person  to  carry  a  message  and  I 
told  these  gentlemen  of  you." 

"  I  am  to  go  —  that  is  your  wish !  "  exclaimed 
the  boy,  clasping  his  hands. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  master  gravely. 

"  Then  I  will  start,"  he  said  roughly.  "  Be- 
ing of  the  soil  it  may  be  that  I  can  pass  through. 
If  not— " 

He  unclasped  his  hands  and  made  a  rude  ges- 
ture. Now  he  stood  stock-still  entirely  absorbed 
with  this  new  idea  that  he  was  to  go  out  from  this 
place  which  had  been  a  home  for  so  long  —  go 
out  alone  into  the  unknown. 


160  WANG   THE    NINTH 

His  master,  instead  of  answering,  turned  and 
said  three  words  in  English  which  the  boy  al- 
ways remembered  by  their  sound. 

" He  will  go"  said  the  master  gravely.  The 
gentlemen  turned  to  one  another  and  repeated 
the  words  several  times.  "He  will  go,"  they 
said. 

"  I  offered  your  services,"  resumed  his  master 
in  the  vernacular,  speaking  very  deliberately, 
"  because  I  knew  that  you  had  courage  and  were 
accustomed  to  every  kind  of  life.  Most  of  our 
people  here  have  lived  only  in  the  city  —  they 
would  be  helpless  on  such  a  journey.  I  told 
these  gentlemen  how  you  came  to  me  in  the  win- 
ter from  afar  and  waited  at  my  door.  But  this 
is  different.  It  is  no  small  business.  Three 
hundred  li  by  road  must  you  travel  and  three 
hundred  li  back.  A  man,  with  everything  help- 
ing him,  may  make  the  journey  in  ten  days  and 
less.  But  now  that  the  road  is  infested  with 
soldiers  and  that  fighting  is  general,  we  should 
count  ourselves  lucky  if  you  made  the  journey 
in  twenty  days.  We  can  wait  twenty  days,  even 
thirty.  But  forty  days  would  be  too  long.  Do 
you  understand?" 


WANG    THE    NINTH  161 

"  Yes,  your  Honour/'  said  the  boy  simply. 
"  I  shall  make  inquiries  from  others  who  know 
the  road  and  then  it  will  be  easy." 

"  No  inquiries  must  be  made,"  interrupted  the 
master.  "  You  must  remain  here  until  you  start 
tonight.  There  may  be  spies  in  our  midst.  Si- 
lence is  necessary.  Otherwise  all  may  prove 
useless.  Everything  will  be  explained  to  you 
here." 

He  began  showing  him  on  a  map  the  chief 
places  on  the  road  and  taught  him  the  names. 
He  drilled  him  as  to  his  line  of  conduct  in  every 
eventuality  that  he  could  think  of.  And  at  last, 
when  he  had  exhausted  all  this  catechizing,  he 
heaved  a  sigh  and  stopped  abruptly. 

"  Now  for  the  message,"  he  said. 

One  of  the  other  gentlemen  handed  him  a  tiny 
piece  of  tissue  paper  with  writing  on  it.  He 
showed  the  boy  how  it  could  be  rolled  up  into  a 
ball  or  into  a  spiral  or  folded  flat  —  just  as  he 
liked. 

The  boy  took  the  little  scrap  in  his  hand,  tested 
it  quickly  with  an  adroit  hand  to  see  what  he 
could  do  with  it. 

Then  suddenly  he  acted.     He  had  rolled  it  into 


162  WANG    THE    NINTH 

a  thin  wad,  and  quickly  but  carefully  slipped  it 
into  an  ear.  It  was  absolutely  hidden. 

There  were  exclamations  of  surprise  from  the 
gentlemen  at  the  table  at  his  cleverness. 

"  But  are  you  sure  that  you  can  keep  it  there 
for  many  days? "  questioned  his  master  anxi- 
ously. 

"  Certainly.  In  smuggling,  the  account  of  the 
smuggled  goods  is  always  carried  like  that  — " 

"  But  then  it  may  be  known  to  others?  " 

The  boy  shook  his  head. 

"  No  —  it  is  only  known  to  a  few.  It  is  a 
trick  of  the  city  gates  and  in  the  country  they 
will  not  suspect  it." 

After  that  they  kept  him  there  until  the  sun 
had  set  and  it  had  become  dark.  A  crackling 
rifle-fire  commenced  but  nobody  moved  from  the 
house.  This  was  more  important  than  anything 
that  could  happen  at  the  barricades.  When  it 
was  quite  dark,  and  he  had  been  given  a  meal, 
and  money  in  sufficient  quantity  for  a  fortnight's 
food,  they  started  off  in  a  body.  To  the  city 
wall  they  all  marched  quickly,  and  up  the  self- 
same ramp  where  he  had  jested  and  played  with 
the  foreign  soldiers. 


WAKG    THE    NIXTH  163 

On  the  city  wall  a  long  rope  was  tied  round 
his  waist,  an  anxious  group  surrounded  him  — 
and  some  last  advice  whispered  to  him  which  he 
brushed  aside. 

"  I  who  have  gone  up  and  down  with  my  naked 
hands  am  not  afraid,"  he  muttered.  "  Only  it 
is  necessary  to  lower  away  the  rope  until  all 
weight  is  realeased.  When  I  have  cast  myself 
free  I  shall  jerk  so,  once,  twice  hard." 

"  In  an  hour  or  so  the  moon  will  rise,"  spoke 
his  master  for  the  last  time.  "  Whether  there 
are  soldiery  posted  at  night  beneath  the  city  wall 
we  do  not  know.  But  some  have  been  seen  from 
time  to  time  at  dawn.  Be  cautious  but  be  quick. 
By  dawn  you  must  be  far  away.  Are  you 
ready?  " 

For  answer  the  boy  climbed  on  to  the  para- 
pet, a  small  lithe  figure.  With  his  graceful 
Oriental  hands,  he  clasped  the  brickwork  for  a 
moment ;  then  with  infinite  quickness  slipped  his 
weight  on  to  the  strain  of  the  rope. 

"  Now,"  he  muttered,  balancing  himself  beau- 
tifully. 

Quickly  they  began  lowering.  The  boy,  with 
his  rough,  powerful  toes  working  through  his 


164  WANG    THE    NINTH 

cloth  shoes,  played  at  the  brickwork  as  he  de- 
scended, always  keeping  touch  so  that  as  the 
cord  lengthened  he  should  not  be  dashed  against 
the  hard  rough  face.  He  was  down  the  fifty 
feet  in  less  than  thirty  seconds  —  standing  on 
the  sand  of  the  outer  city. 

He  drew  a  deep  breath,  untied  the  loose  knots, 
jerked  quickly  at  the  rope  twice,  saw  a  dim  out- 
line of  heads  peering  over  at  him,  and  then  with- 
out fear  or  hesitation  stole  straight  into  the 
black  night  where  the  enemy  lay. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

HE  showed  infinite  cunning  in  his  ad- 
vance. His  sheltered  life  dropped 
from  him  like  a  discarded  garment. 
Fortified  by  his  long  experience  of  vagabond 
days  he  displayed  the  cunning  of  the  young  ani- 
mal that  knows  that  older  animals  are  stronger 
and  more  savage,  and  must  be  kept  off  by  stealth 
and  not  by  strength. 

^Keeping  close  to  the  deep  shadow  of  the  city 
wall,  he  watched  carefully  the  ground  in  front 
of  his  feet  so  that  he  should  not  fall  over  sleeping 
men.  In  summer  it  was  not  rare  for  men  to 
sleep  along  this  sandy  stretch  where  the  camel 
caravans  passed;  and  if  there  were  soldiers 
posted  here  that  was  what  they  would  certainly 
be  doing. 

South  of  him  lay  the  broad  city  moat,  a 
noisome  antediluvian  defence.  This  he  knew  he 
could  not  cross  save  by  the  stone  bridges  at  the 
city  gates,  for  it  was  full  of  a  black  terrible 
slime.  Once  in  his  childhood  he  had  been  nearly 

165 


166  WANG    THE    NINTH 

choked  by  falling  into  it,  and  he  still  cherished 
a  wholesome  dread  of  its  nature. 

He  went  on  slowly  thinking  of  all  sorts  of 
things  as  he  stole  forward.  Down  here,  with  the 
great  barrier  of  the  city  wall  cutting  him  off,  the 
rifle-fire  round  the  foreign  quarter  sounded  faint 
—  as  if  it  were  miles  away.  He  seemed  to  have 
left  far  behind  him  all  the  troubles  and  the  in- 
terests of  many  chequered  days;  what  was  real 
and  absorbing  to  him  was  to  keep  tally  of  the 
out  jutting  buttresses,  so  that  he  might  carefully 
hide  himself  before  the  stone  bridge  was  reached. 

Some  hovels,  built  by  beggars,  loomed  up  un- 
expectedly after  he  had  gone  half-a-mile  or  so. 
He  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  and  listened 
long  and  carefully  before  he  advanced  any  fur- 
ther. He  knew  well  that  if  there  were  soldiers 
about  they  would  have  certainly  taken  these 
shelters  and  driven  the  owners  away.  He  lay 
so  long  and  so  still  on  the  ground  that  he  dozed 
a  little;  when  he  opened  his  eyes  the  waning 
moon  was  coming  slowly  and  majestically  over 
the  horizon,  making  the  obscurity  of  the  mighty 
city  wall  seem  more  funereal  than  ever. 

He  watched  the  moon  curiously  and  lazily  as 


WANG    THE    NINTH  167 

if  it  had  some  special  message  for  him.  In  a 
stately  manner  it  lifted  itself  higher  and  higher 
until  it  was  far  above  the  earthline.  Now  it 
threw  over  the  scene  a  great  silver  light  in  which 
the  hovels  stood  out  like  black  islands. 

Not  a  sound  from  them  —  not  a  movement. 
Reassured  he  scuttled  forward  until  he  was  in 
their  shadow.  He  was  sure  they  were  empty. 
There  was  no  sound  of  breathing.  Yet  to  be 
quite  sure  he  did  not  stir  for  minutes. 

How  queer!  As  he  crept  on  he  saw  in  the 
moonlight  beyond  the  hovels  a  single  old  beggar 
sleeping  —  a  very  old  man  with  a  white  beard, 
who  lay  on  his  back,  with  his  knees  pulled  up 
sharply,  and  one  arm  sticking  up  as  if  it  did  not 
belong  to  him.  The  figure  fascinated  the  boy. 
He  watched  it  for  a  long  time.  He  was  quite 
sure  that  any  one  sleeping  here  now  must  know 
perfectly  where  the  soldiers  were  posted,  and 
what  sort  of  men  they  were  —  and  their  num- 
bers, too.  Yielding  to  an  impulse  he  crawled 
right  up  to  the  sleeper  and  tapped  on  the  arm 
which  fell  at  once. 

"  Ta-ko  (elder  brother)  "  he  said  in  an  under- 
tone, using  a  polite  phrase  of  the  people  to  be 


168  WANG    THE    NINTH 

sure  of  a  polite  reception.  "  I  have  strayed  far 
from  my  home  and  am  hungry  and  frightened. 
I  could  manage  a  bowl  of  something  warm  if  I 
knew  where  to  get  it." 

No  answer. 

He  tried  again: 

"  Yeh-yeh  (grand-father)  can  you  not  give  me 
some  comforting  information  about  this  neigh- 
bourhood? " 

Still  no  answer. 

"  Tortoise !  "  he  exclaimed,  exchanging  his  po- 
liteness for  an  habitual  insult  in  his  irritation 
as  he  pulled  at  the  man's  sleeve.  "  Old  tortoise, 
you  sleep  deep  out  here  in  your  rags  under  the 
city  wall." 

Then  something  prompted  him  to  stop  and 
gaze  open-mouthed  at  the  old  man's  bare  chest 
and  stomach .  It  had  a  big  dark  stain.  He  bent 
lower  until  his  eyes  were  only  a  few  inches  away. 
Quite  distinctly  in  the  moonlight  he  could  see 
the  marks  of  the  wound. 

"  8su-la  —  he  is  dead,"  the  boy  whispered  in 
a  hollow  voice. 

He  was  dead  —  evidently  shot  down  by  the 


WANG    THE    NINTH  169 

soldiers.  He  had  been  killed  in  sight  of  his 
home. 

Death  in  the  East  is  no  mystery :  yet  the  boy 
shivered  once  or  twice  because  he  was  so  lonely. 
The  vast  barren  space  under  the  wall  was  ten- 
anted only  by  this  dead  man  and  himself;  and 
lurking  somewhere  near  were  the  soldiers. 

From  far  away  came  a  peculiar  grunt  and 
snarl  which  wras  repeated  again  and  again.  The 
sound  rose  and  hung  on  the  night  air,  and  now 
the  boy  rejoiced. 

"  Camels,"  he  exclaimed  aloud  in  his  joy. 
There  was  a  caravan  of  animals  evidently 
camped  just  by  the  stone  bridge,  waiting  like  him 
for  the  dawn.  At  the  first  streak  of  daylight 
they  would  be  off.  It  would  be  easy  to  join 
them.  By  mixing  with  the  drivers  he  might 
escape  notice.  Now  with  the  phlegm  and  pa- 
tience of  his  race  he  sat  down  with  his  legs 
tucked  under  him  prepared  to  wait  for  dawn. 

Several  times  he  became  so  drowsy  that  he 
heeled  over,  waking  himself  up  completely  with 
the  shock  of  falling  to  the  ground.  But  he  was 
determined  to  remain  awake  cost  what  it  might 


170  WANG    THE    NINTH 

to  his  resolution.  There  would  be  a  bare  few 
minutes  when  dawn  came  to  carry  out  his  plan : 
if  he  missed  the  first  coming  of  daylight  it  would 
be  too  late  and  the  camels  would  be  gone. 

Calculating  by  the  moon,  at  three  o'clock  he 
began  to  creep  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees. 
He  might  be  mistaken  for  a  dog,  he  thought,  if 
any  one  were  watching.  He  managed  it  so  well 
that  in  the  gentle  night  breeze  he  smelt  the 
camels  long  before  he  could  make  out  a  single 
one  of  them.  Then  listening  carefully  as  he  ap- 
proached, he  could  hear  the  murmur  of  the 
camel-drivers'  voices.  Already  they  were  awake 
since  it  was  their  habit  to  start  in  the  dark. 
But  now  they  would  not  move  until  clear  day- 
light for  fear  of  the  soldiers. 

Dawn  at  last  and  from  near  the  rings  of  kneel- 
ing camels  wreaths  of  smoke.  The  drivers  were 
evidently  boiling  tea  for  themselves,  purposely 
delaying  their  departure  until  it  was  safe. 

Now  clear  daylight.  The  boy  by  working 
along  under  the  city  wall  was  only  fifty  yards 
away,  sheltered  by  a  high  bank  of  sand.  He  sat 
down  with  his  back  to  the  brickwork  watching 
for  the  start. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  171 

The  well-remembered  snarling  commenced. 
Jerking  roughly  at  the  nose-rings  the  drivers 
were  raising  the  camels  to  their  feet.  Now  they 
stood  in  a  great  shaggy  herd  and  with  their 
clumsy  bells  clanking,  they  started  off.  Quickly 
yet  quietly  he  raced  after  them  until  he  was 
near  the  last  string:  for  it  is  the  custom  of  the 
country  to  tie  seven  to  a  group  which  is 
led  by  one  man.  He  gave  a  swift  glance  up 
at  the  empty  baskets,  and  saw  some  sweet- 
potato  vine  hanging  down.  They  were  fruits- 
camels,  he  was  sure.  He  knew  the  road  they 
would  take  out  of  the  city.  It  was  just  right 
for  him. 

Round  the  greact  belly  of  brick  —  the  curtain 
of  the  city  gate  —  the  camels  progressed.  There 
was  the  stone  bridge  right  in  front  of  them ;  and 
on  it  were  gaudy  soldiers'  flags.  The  caravan 
had  come  to  a  dead  halt.  The  boy  peering  round 
the  camels'  hairy  legs  could  see  that  there  was  an 
altercation  with  some  guards.  One  camel-driver 
was  down  on  his  knees  kowtowing  humbly. 
There  was  a  long  pause  during  which  the  boy's 
heart  was  in  his  mouth.  Would  they  be  allowed 
to  proceed?  At  last,  the  long  train  commenced 


172  WANG   THE    NINTH 

swaying  forward  once  more :  they  had  been  given 
the  right  to  leave  the  city. 

The  leading  files  were  already  passing  across 
the  stone  bridge  when  the  boy  saw  that  the  sol- 
diers stopped  and  interrogated  each  man  leading 
his  string  of  seven  animals.  If  they  did  that  to 
the  men  what  would  they  not  do  to  him? 

In  a  flash  he  made  up  his  mind  to  a  desperate 
move.  There  was  some  long  green  creeper,  in 
which  the  fruit  had  been  packed,  still  hanging  to 
the  empty  baskets  on  the  last  camel's  back.  The 
boy  plucked  it  rapidly  down,  edged  up  to  the  last 
camel's  head  and  rapidly  pushed  it  into  the 
camel's  mouth.  The  camel  grunted  its  pleasure 
and  commenced  mashing  the  acid  creeper.  The 
boy  gave  it  more.  Having  quieted  it,  he  grasped 
the  cord  hanging  from  the  baskets,  and  with  a 
desperate  leap  managed  to  pull  himself  half-way 
up.  Then  holding  on  like  grim  death  to  the  fur 
of  the  animal,  with  a  swift  wriggle  he  did  an  old 
trick:  he  threw  himself  upside  down  and  got  a 
foot  round  a  hump.  Hanging  head  down,  and 
clawing  at  the  animal's  furry  hide,  he  jerked  his 
light  weight  completely  up.  Exhausted  and 


WANG   THE   NINTH  173 

deathly  pale  from  the  exertion,  he  lay  at  last  safe 
between  the  humps. 

The  moment  of  ordeal  had  arrived. 

He  knew  that  there  was  nothing  to  fear  from 
the  driver  of  the  last  string.  He  was  at  least 
twenty  yards  ahead  with  seven  swaying  animals 
in  between;  and  with  his  heart  certainly  quak- 
ing from  fear  of  the  soldiers.  It  was  only  these 
he  had  to  fear.  With  his  eyes  feigning  sleep  he 
squinted  out  beneath  his  eyelashes  rocking  him- 
self to  and  fro.  Here  they  were  in  numbers,  in 
their  parti-coloured  tunics  and  their  rifles  held 
menacingly,  ready  for  any  sort  of  violence,  de- 
lighting in  violence.  The  boy  thought  of  the 
white-bearded  beggar  lying  dead  on  the  sands 
with  the  ants  beginning  already  to  crawl  over 
him,  and  closed  his  eyes  completely,  as  if  he 
were  really  sleeping. 

He  heard  their  rough  talk.  He  heard  one  man 
call  attention  to  the  last  tortoise-egg  on  the  last 
camel;  but  no  one  actually  molested  him. 

Clankety-clank  went  the  camels.  The  stone- 
bridge  was  far  behind  before  he  dared  move  even 
so  much  as  an  eyelash.  Then  at  last  he  boldly 


174  WANG    THE    NINTH 

looked  behind.  They  were  turning  a  corner  — 
safe.  Here  the  narrow  street  was  absolutely 
deserted.  No  soldiers.  He  slipped  to  the 
ground  like  a  flash  and  disappeared  into  a  twist- 
ing lane. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

HE  knew  this  part  of  the  outer  city  very 
accurately;  for  the  great  grain  mar- 
kets were  here,  and  the  farriers  and 
the  horse-doctors  clustered  thick  where  thou- 
sands of  draft  animals  were  daily  at  work  in 
times  of  peace.  In  days  gone  by  he  had  often 
come  to  have  his  master's  ponies  cupped  or  other- 
wise medicated  by  these  men  whose  science  was 
mainly  a  hoary  tradition  handed  down  from  fa- 
ther to  son,  and  who  yet  had  a  wonderful  if  em- 
pirical knowledge  of  all  animals  and  their  ail- 
ments. 

He  had  greatly  loved  these  excursions  which 
had  sometimes  consumed  the  best  part  of  a  day. 
Violent  discussions  always  accompanied  every 
case  which  called  for  treatment;  for  the  grooms 
considered  that  their  reputations  would  be  im- 
perilled if  they  did  not  cavil  at  every  diagnosis. 
Although  they  treated  the  aged  horse-doctors 
with  respect,  they  wished  to  show  that  they,  too, 
had  knowledge.  Sallies  of  wit,  which  attracted 

175 


176  WANG    THE    NINTH 

half  the  idlers  in  the  street,  made  these  disputa- 
tions memorable  things :  every  one  gave  tongue  to 
what  was  in  them  and  the  talk  was  endless. 

How  changed  it  had  all  become!  There  was 
not  a  soul  abroad  and  of  all  the  thousands  of 
animals  there  was  not  a  single  team  to  be  seen. 
Every  door  was  closed,  every  caravanserai  shut- 
tered. Commerce  had  been  frightened  away, 
killed  by  the  fear  of  bullets.  On  went  the  boy 
yawning  and  feeling  hungry  and  tired  and 
thirsty,  and  increasingly  alarmed  by  the  dead 
silence.  There  was  not  even  a  drop  of  water  to 
drink  —  nothing.  The  very  street  watering- 
troughs  were  dry;  all  the  buckets  had  been  re- 
moved from  the  common  wells.  Not  a  drop  of 
water  for  man  or  beast.  What  a  condition! 

The  more  he  thought  of  it  the  more  consumed 
he  was  by  thirst.  But  as  a  horse  in  the  desert  in- 
fallibly makes  for  water,  so  now  he  made  his 
made  his  way  towards  certain  fields.  He  had 
often  noted  how  melons  grew  in  patches  almost 
alongside  the  trading  city,  cut  off  from  the  road- 
way by  low  mud  walls.  A  longing  for  the  big, 
luscious  water-melons,  which  he  had  not  tasted 
that  year,  became  so  overwhelming  that  he  could 


WANG    THE    NINTH  177 

hardly  wait.  He  ran  on,  thinking  only  of  this 
one  thing,  no  longer  caring  whether  he  was  seen 
or  not.  At  last  he  saw  green  ahead-  There 
were  the  fields  and  the  fruit  gardens. 

A  dog  ran  and  barked  furiously  at  him  as  he 
boldly  jumped  over  a  low  mud  boundary  wall, 
but  he  threw  a  clod  of  earth  at  it  and  drove  it 
off.  He  ran  through  some  buckwheat  standing 
almost  man-high,  crushing  down  the  growing 
grain  and  wondering  whether  this  year  they  had 
forgotten  to  plant  the  melons.  No  —  here  were 
the  melon-patches,  great  quantities  of  the  suc- 
culent gourds  lying  ripe  on  the  ground,  each  on 
its  own  little  bed  of  straw.  With  the  skill  of  the 
country-boy  he  picked  out  the  biggest  and  ripest 
one  there  was;  broke  it  open  with  two  or  three 
savage  stamps  of  his  foot;  and  then  sat  down 
indifferent  to  everything  so  as  to  enjoy  it. 

Oh,  the  good  red  fruit!  He  completely  de- 
voured the  whole  melon  in  less  than  fifteen  min- 
utes, eating  right  down  to  the  rind  and  not  wast- 
ing a  particle.  Then  as  he  sat  with  his  face  and 
bared  chest  bathed  in  the  juice,  he  wondered 
whether  he  could  attempt  another.  Lazily  re- 
clining on  the  ground  among  the  fragments  of 


178  WANG    THE    NINTH 

his  feast,  he  debated  the  problem  idly  as  he 
looked  at  his  swollen  paunch.  But  finally  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  had  eaten  to  the  utter- 
most limit  of  man.  Now  reluctantly  he  rose  to 
his  feet  and  determined  to  resume  his  journey. 
As  he  scrambled  over  the  mud  wall  he  sud- 
denly remembered  that  he  might  have  been  seen 
by  a  watcher  of  crops ;  and  for  a  full  five  minutes 
he  studied  every  inch  of  the  ground  within  eye- 
sight. Crouching  down  beside  the  mud  wall  he 
picked  out  each  little  watch-tower  unerringly. 
Communities  living  wholly  by  agriculture,  and 
knowing  nothing  else,  invariably  look  upon  their 
fields  as  something  sacred.  So  it  happened  here 
that  all  over  the  land,  as  the  grain  and  fruit 
ripen,  watch-towers  of  matting  and  poles  are  run 
up  by  the  agricultural  population.  With  an- 
cient matchlocks  in  their  hands,  which  they 
sometimes  discharge  to  warn  off  trespassers,  men 
sit  in  these  watching  day  and  night.  The  boy 
knew  these  things  as  well  as  he  knew  the  shape 
of  his  hands;  for  they  were  as  much  a  part  of 
his  world  as  street  lighting  and  railways  and 
other  manifold  inventions  are  in  the  West 
Where  now  were  the  watchers  of  crops? 


WANG   THE    NINTH  179 

There  were  apparently  none.  Overcome  with 
curiosity,  very  deliberately  he  made  his  way  to 
the  nearest  tower;  walked  right  under  it,  and 
peered  up.  Empty !  He  passed  a  second ;  it  was 
the  same  thing.  When  he  found  that  all  were 
deserted  and  that  the  standing  grain  and  ripe 
fruit  was  looking  after  itself  he  shook  his  head 
dolefully.  There  was  on  his  face  the  pessimism 
only  possible  in  a  race  of  cultivators  four  thou- 
sand years  old. 

"  This  is  a  bad  business,"  he  murmured  aloud. 
"  The  end  has  indeed  come  — " 

Nothing  that  had  occurred  since  he  had  been 
lowered  down  the  city  wall  so  depressed  him. 
He  felt  completely  abandoned.  All  the  guar- 
antees of  life  and  order  were  gone.  For  if  it 
were  like  this  within  the  limits  of  the  city  ad- 
ministration, what  must  it  not  be  in  the  open 
country.  ...  He  thought  of  the  many  miles  he 
had  to  traverse  and  his  heart  sank. 

Still  he  walked  on  as  quickly  as  he  could.  He 
had  a  certain  goal  to  attain.  He  meant  to  at- 
tain it.  Frowning  to  himself  he  went  quicker 
and  quicker. 

A  low  broken  gateway  at  last  announced  the 


180  WANG    THE    NINTH 

end  of  the  outer  city  and  the  spot  where  he  would 
pass  into  the  open  country.  But  the  splotch  of 
colour  he  saw  in  the  shadow  of  the  gate  halted 
him  instantly  and  changed  the  currents  of  his 
thoughts.  He  forgot  all  about  the  fear  which 
had  driven  a  whole  population  into  hiding.  His 
own  business  had  become  urgent  again. 

He  stood  casting  about  for  a  plan  to  enable 
him  to  pass  this  last  egress  safely.  He  could 
think  of  nothing.  He  had  indeed  forgotten  all 
about  the  outer  city  gate.  It  had  not  occurred 
to  him  that  there  would  be  soldiers  here  just 
as  there  were  soldiers  at  every  other  vital 
point. 

The  low  brick  wall  ahead  of  him  was  so  eroded 
by  wind  and  rain  that  he  thought  how  easy  it 
would  be  for  him  to  climb  it.  Still  in  the  broad 
daylight  he  dare  not  make  the  attempt  with 
guards  on  the  alert. 

Walking  very  slowly,  he  approached  the  gate- 
way until  he  could  see  who  were  the  men  there. 
They  were  cavalry.  A  number  of  saddled  ponies 
were  cropping  the  scanty  grass  whilst  their  rid- 
ers lay  asleep  beside  them.  Still  some  men  were 


WANG    THE    NINTH  181 

awake,  for  there  were  the  figures  in  the  gate- 
way. 

For  a  long  time  he  watched.  Nobody  was  pass- 
ing either  in  or  out  of  the  gateway:  he  did  not 
know  what  subterfuge  to  adopt.  Then,  as  he 
stood  there,  Heaven  sent  him  assistance.  He 
suddenly  caught  sight  of  a  small  country-boy, 
about  his  own  size,  with  a  basket  of  manure  and 
a  manure-rake  beside  him,  asleep  behind  some 
bushes.  It  was  instantly  plain  to  him  that  the 
boy  had  followed  the  troopers  for  the  droppings 
of  their  horses.  Now  he  made  up  his  mind,  and 
he  approached  the  boy  on  the  point  of  his  toes. 
The  basket  was  easy  enough  to  pick  up;  but  the 
rake  was  placed  securely  under  the  sleeping 
boy's  legs  —  to  prevent  just  such  a  catastrophe 
as  was  about  to  occur.  Wang  the  Ninth,  with 
a  skill  which  a  long  apprenticeship  had  given 
him,  very  gently  and  insinuatingly  braced  up 
the  legs  i  ach  by  inch,  and  then  deftly  and  swiftly 
pulled  away  the  rake  from  under  the  luckless 
sleeper  who  stirred  uneasily  but  did  not  awake. 
Now  with  the  stealth  of  the  Indian  Scout  he  tip- 
toed away.  He  knew  that  he  was  fully  armed 


182  WANG   THE    NINTH 

with  a  passport  —  that  is  if  the  other  boy  did 
not  awake  and  give  the  alarm. 

For  a  hundred  yards  or  so  he  moved  torn  with 
anxiety.  Then  as  no  shouts  came  from  behind, 
he  gained  confidence.  With  amazing  effrontery 
as  he  approached  the  gateway  he  commenced 
singing  lustily  the  "  Song  of  the  Wine- jug,"  as  if 
the  fresh  morning  had  put  music  into  his  heart. 
Nonchalantly  and  easily,  he  walked  up  to  the 
hobbled  ponies,  and  manoeuvred  round  their  tails 
with  his  rake.  Carefully  he  garnered  up  all 
their  droppings,  singing  all  the  time.  Now  with 
the  filled  basket  slung  across  his  shoulder,  he 
made  his  way  into  the  gateway,  searching  for 
more  manure  as  he  walked,  and  even  stopping 
to  speak  to  a  soldier. 

"  These  horses  are  so  poorly  fed  that  they  are 
hardly  worth  my  trouble,"  he  remarked  coarsely 
enough,  swinging  the  laden  basket  from  one 
shoulder  to  the  other. 

The  man  cursed  him  for  his  insolence  but  he 
did  not  molest  him.  On  he  went  quicker  now. 
He  scrambled  up  a  high  bank  and  made  his  way 
into  the  fields.  Once  hidden  from  sight  he  threw 
the  basket  and  the  rake  where  they  could  not  be 


WANG   THE    NINTH  183 

found.     Then  without  a  thought  of  the  wretched 
youth  he  had  robbed,  and  with  nothing  to  en- 
cumber him,  he  began  running  as  hard  as  he 
could. 
He  was  free  —  utterly  free. 


CHAPTER  XX 

NOON  found  him  asleep  in  the  fields  of 
kaoliang,    that    giant    millet    growing 
twelve  feet  high  which  is  so  dense  that 
one  may  become  lost  in  its  golden  tangle.     Ut- 
terly worn  out,  he  had  crept  into  this  safe  hiding- 
place,  and  amidst  the  drone  of  the  countless  in- 
sects  he   had   dropped   on   his  back,   and  lost 
consciousness  —  a  small,  unobserved  creature  on 
the  face  of  a  troubled  earth. 

Yet  in  spite  of  his  fatigue  his  sleep  was  dis- 
turbed. Uneasy  dreams  made  him  thrash 
around  and  babble  confused  talk.  He  again 
lived  through  all  his  experiences  of  the  night 
before  and  found  no  comfort  in  the  success  which 
had  crowned  his  efforts.  To  escape  from  the 
great  city  in  the  manner  he  had  done  was  a  feat 
which  should  have  brought  him  peace.  Never- 
theless as  he  slept  he  constantly  heard  his  mas- 
ter's voice  chiding  him  for  not  showing  more 
haste.  The  voice  was  so  clear  that  he  under- 

184 


WANG    THE    NINTH  185 

stood  perfectly  everything  that  was  said ;  and  — 
strangest  of  all  —  the  three  mysterious  words 
which  every  one  had  spoken  at  the  last  fateful 
interview,  when  he  had  been  committed  to  this 
enterprise,  sounded  unendingly  in  his  ears  in  a 
great  undertone. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  harsh  grinding  of  the 
cicadas  which  brought  back  the  message  so  in- 
sistently as  he  lay  semi-conscious ;  for  the  cicadas 
were  singing  with  all  the  might  which  is  theirs 
in  the  summer  months.  Well  —  he  had  travelled 
far  and  braved  many  risks  —  was  that  not 
enough  ?  No  —  for  now  his  master  stood  im- 
mediately over  him,  a  huge  figure  full  of  awe. 
His  red  beard  bristled  as  he  spoke  with  the  force 
of  his  superior  judgment ;  and  as  the  boy  watched 
thunderstruck,  the  red  beard  came  nearer  and 
nearer  in  a  menacing  way  until  at  length  he 
could  feel  the  bristles  sticking  into  his  face.  .  .  . 

With  a  startled  cry  he  awoke  and  threw  off 
some  millet  stalks  which  had  fallen  across  him. 
Now  he  yawned  and  shook  himself  like  a  dog. 
He  was  fully  awake  but  still  a  little  frightened. 
The  vividness  of  the  apparition  slowly  disap- 
peared like  clouds  driven  along  the  skies  by  a 


186  WANG   THE    NINTH 

high  wind.  As  he  sat  up  and  tightened  his  belt 
he  was  suddenly  overwhelmed  by  the  great  emp- 
tiness which  oppressed  his  stomach. 

"  I  haven't  eaten  for  a  whole  day, —  that  is 
apart  from  the  melon,"  he  grumbled,  looking 
down  at  his  thin  body,  and  scratching  his  arms 
and  hands  morosely.  "  It  is  possible  to  die  of 
starvation  even  with  food  growing  around  you." 

Now  he  jumped  up,  and  went  rustling  through 
the  grain.  In  a  land  of  poverty  —  where  the 
struggle  for  existence  is  bitter  and  keen  —  not 
to  eat  is  a  confession  of  failure. 

There  were  acres  and  acres  of  the  same  field; 
and  as  he  threaded  his  way  forward  he  cursed 
the  owners  for  their  greed  in  tilling  so  much 
land.  But  at  length  the  great  field  ceased;  and 
he  came  out  suddenly  on  to  a  rutted  roadway 
and  saw  in  the  distance  a  tumbledown  little  red 
building.  It  was  a  country  shrine.  He  studied 
it  critically  for  a  long  while,  and  then  remem- 
bered, from  the  manner  in  which  three  trees  grew 
beside  it,  having  seen  it  before.  It  was  about 
twenty  li  —  seven  miles  counted  in  English  —  to 
the  south-east  of  the  capital.  He  had  come 
twenty  li  since  he  had  left  the  last  city  gate. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  187 

Keaesured,  he  went  up  to  the  closed  doors 
without  further  hesitation. 

"  Lao-ho-shang  ( old  harmonious  and  esteemed 
one),"  he  loudly  called,  hammering  with  his  fists 
on  the  rotting  woodwork,  "  a  foodless  man  is  at 
your  gateway.  Distribute  your  goodness.  Lao- 
Iw-shang,  lao-ho-shang,  come  to  your  door!  " 

He  repeated  his  call  more  and  more  vigor- 
ously ;  and  presently  there  was  the  sound  of  slow 
footsteps  and  the  gate  was  cautiously  unbarred. 
But  it  was  only  opened  an  inch  or  so  by  a  priest 
who  was  neither  old  nor  young,  and  who  was 
clad  in  a  garment  of  faded  saffron  edged  with 
black. 

The  priest  eyed  him  suspiciously  for  a  long 
time  and  at  last  commenced  this  interrogatory: 

"  How  far  have  you  journeyed?" 

"  Many  miles  from  the  South,  many  miles  in- 
deed." 

"And  what  is  your  purpose  in  journeying 
when  all  is  unsettled?  " 

"  I  seek  my  relatives  because  my  father  is 
dead." 

"  Where  are  your  relatives?  " 

"  In  the  city  — " 


188 

"  And  what  is  your  name?  " 

The  boy  without  hesitation  continued  to  lie 
calmly  in  the  way  all  his  countrymen  readily  do 
—  that  is  when  they  are  pressed. 

"  I  am  called  Liu  —  I  am  the  second  in  the 
family  —  Liu  Erh  —  I  have  walked  a  hundred 
miles  to  find  my  relatives.  Food  is  what  I  need 
to  soothe  my  hunger.  A  little  hot  food." 

"  Um," —  said  the  priest,  "  I,  too,  am  short  of 
food.  For  a  fortnight  I  have  received  no  alms, 
not  one  copper  coin  has  been  vouchsafed  me. 
With  trouble  abroad  how  dare  I  venture  out? 
And  should  I  give  away  from  my  small  store 
when  I  may  shortly  be  in  need  myself?" 

Wang  the  Ninth,  because  of  his  hunger,  was 
becoming  angry  at  this  long  discussion.  Al- 
ready he  had  measured  his  man :  he  knew  him  to 
be  a  coward  and  covetous  as  well.  With  a  swift 
movement  he  thrust  his  foot  in  between  the  gate- 
post and  the  door  so  that  the  priest  could  not 
possibly  close  it  again, —  that  is  unless  he  threw 
him  back  and  broke  his  foot.  Now  very  roughly 
he  used  what  was  instantly  effective  —  intimida- 
tion, based  on  a  half-truth. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said,  "  I  have  waited  pa- 


WANG    THE    NINTH  189 

tiently  and  answered  all  your  questions  and  am 
very  hungry.  I  have  just  passed  soldiers.  If 
you  do  not  give  me  freely  I  shall  go  and  find  them 
and  declare  that  you  have  silver  buried  in  the 
Temple." 

There  was  brief  hesitation  which  may  have 
lasted  two  seconds,  but  no  more.  Then  the  door 
swung  wide  open. 

"  Come  in,"  said  the  priest  sullenly.  Asia  is 
like  that.  By  audacity  a  child  may  work  his 
will  over  old  and  young  alike.  That  is  one  of 
the  unappreciated  morals  of  the  Bible. 

Wang  the  Ninth,  again  victorious,  loafed  in 
with  an  expression  of  suppressed  amusement  on 
his  face  which  would  have  done  credit  to  an 
actor.  Behind  him  the  priest  shut  the  door 
securely ;  then  turned  round  and  looked  at  him ; 
muttered  something  under  his  breath ;  and  finally 
led  him  to  a  room  where  his  store  of  food  was 
secreted  under  a  broken  bench.  Together,  in 
this  companionship,  neither  speaking  much,  they 
prepared  a  meal  of  boiled  millet,  a  little  salted 
vegetable,  a  cr  p  of  tea. 

Presently  having  eaten  his  fill,  the  marauder 
became  loquacious. 


190  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"  Your  stock  of  food  is  indeed  low,"  he  re- 
marked, examining  everything  and  looking  into 
the  grain-bin  several  times.  "  When  you  first 
spoke  about  shortage  I  doubted  your  story.  If 
you  wait  a  little  I  will  fetch  you  something  as 
repayment  and  prepare  a  bite  for  myself  for 
later  on." 

Without  further  ado,  he  marched  out  through 
the  gateway  and  down  the  roadway  to  where  his 
sharp  eyes  half  an  hour  before  had  noticed  a 
patch  of  Indian  corn.  Calmly,  as  if  it  were  his 
own  property,  he  pulled  off  a  great  mass  of  corn 
cobs,  only  taking  of  the  best.  Then  he  stripped 
off  his  short  cotton  coat,  loaded  it  up  with  the 
loot,  and  marched  back  with  this  fat  bundle  to 
the  keeper  of  Buddha's  shrine. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  I  have  taken  from  an 
abundance  that  is  neglected.  If  there  is  sus- 
picion or  accusation  I  bear  the  blame.  Now  I 
prepare  my  share." 

With  deft  fingers  he  stripped  off  the  husk  from 
a  dozen  cobs,  threw  them  into  a  pot  of  water, 
and  boiled  them  over  the  small  charcoal  fire  until 
beads  of  perspiration  stood  on  his  forehead. 
When  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  they  were 


WANG    THE    NINTH  191 

N 

well-cooked,  he  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief  and  de- 
sisted. He  had  a  couple  of  days'  .supply  of  food 
to  the  good,  no  matter  what  happened;  for  In- 
dian corn  is  a  good  and  strength-giving  food. 

"  I  can  journey  in  peace,"  he  remarked,  "  when 
the  sun  is  a  little  lower  and  there  is  coolness  in 
the  air.  Not  soon  will  I  commit  the  fault  of 
journeying  with  no  provision  belt.  A  hundred 
miles  is  far  to  travel  for  the  poor." 

The  priest  talked  a  little  but  without  much 
gusto.  He  was  irritated  by  everything  that  had 
occurred  since  he  had  unbarred  his  doors;  and 
after  the  manner  of  his  race  he  was  absorbed 
thinking  about  the  way  he  could  redress  the  bal- 
ance in  his  favour.  With  his  arms  behind  his 
back,  master  of  the  situation,  Wang  the  Ninth 
began  sauntering  round  the  narrow  courtyard 
of  the  little  Temple,  and  lifting  the  heavy  reed 
curtain  over  the  door-way  of  the  shrine  he  peered 
in. 

"  Who  is  your  honourable  Saint?  "  he  inquired 
politely,  looking  at  the  square,  clumsy,  gilt  figure. 
Then  almost  before  he  had  finished  asking  the 
question  he  burst  into  a  short  laugh.  His  quick 
eyes  had  noticed  something.  "  Lao-ho-shang , 


192  WANG    THE    NINTH 

have  you  noticed  that  an  ear  has  dropped  off?  " 
He  pointed  to  the  left  ear  of  Buddha's  disciple 
which  was  indeed  missing. 

The  priest  became  more  nettled  than  ever. 

"  What  would  you?  "  he  said.  "  This  locality 
is  poor  —  and  very  miserly  as  well.  Only  on 
harvest-days  do  I  receive  alms  in  sufficiency  for 
my  welfare.  As  for  renovation  where  shall  I 
find  funds?  All  the  shrines  for  many  miles  lack 
repair,  and  some  are  even  deserted  by  their  keep- 
ers." 

The  devil  in  the  boy  leaped  to  the  surface. 
With  a  rapid  gesture  his  hand  travelled  to  his 
belt,  and  with  a  flash  he  threw  a  bright  silver 
coin  on  the  matted  floor  as  an  offering. 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  I  have  contributed." 

The  priest  stood  staring. 

"  Silver !  "  he  exclaimed  as  if  that  had  been  the 
name  of  his  God.  "  You  carry  silver !  "  Now 
he  bent  down  and  picked  up  the  coin  which  he 
examined  carefully. 

"  Yes,  silver,"  assented  Wang  the  Ninth,  "  an 
undoubted  piece  of  silver." 

"How  is  it  that  you  who  lack  food  have 


WANG    THE    NINTH  193 

money?  "  said  the  priest.  His  manner  was  full 
of  suspicion. 

The  boy  laughed  easily. 

"  It  is  this  way.  Many  in  our  locality  were 
employed  in  the  city  before  the  trouble  com- 
menced and  they  have  all  fled  back.  They  had 
money  in  their  belts,  and  two  who  had  known  my 
father  gave  me  small  contributions  to  help  me 
on  my  way.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  friendly 
help  I  would  indeed  have  fared  badly." 

"  Urn,"  said  the  priest,  "  and  how  many  such 
coins  have  you  with  you?" 

Wang  the  Ninth  took  several  steps  backwards 
so  that  if  needs  be  he  could  run  for  it.  There 
was  a  note  in  the  priest's  voice  that  he  did  not 
like.  He  wras  quite  capable  of  trying  to  rob  him. 
Already  he  regretted  his  indiscretion. 

"How  many  coins?  Ho  —  ho,  I  am  a  bad 
hand  at  calculating."  He  took  a  few  more  steps 
backward.  "  Are  you  discontented  with  my  gen- 
erosity? —  well,  I  cannot  help  it."  With  a  swift 
movement  he  bent  down  and  picked  up  the 
bundle  of  corn  which  he  had  made.  "  The  day 
is  waning,  I  cannot  waste  more  time.  Lao-ho- 


194  WANG    THE    NINTH 

sliang,  I  am  about  to  leave  you."  And  with  this 
lightly  and  quickly  he  sprang  away  and  then 
through  the  narrow  door  on  to  the  roadway. 

The  priest  followed  him.  On  his  face  there 
was  a  sharp  struggle.  Had  he  been  able  to  do 
so,  he  would  have  rushed  at  him.  But  the 
chances  of  success  were  poor  having  in  view  his 
feebleness  and  the  boy's  agility.  So  sullenly  he 
watched  Wang  the  Ninth  walk  away  looking  over 
his  shoulder  as  he  went,  and  beginning  the  song, 
"  Every  priest  is  only  a  thief  with  a  shaven  pate," 
which  is  known  to  every  urchin  in  the  land. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

IN  the  cool  of  the  evening  he  walked  on 
steadily  hour  after  hour  thinking  of  the 
priest,  and  sometimes  wondering  why  he 
met  no  soldiers.  He  began  to  believe  that  things 
would  not  be  so  hard  as  he  had  pictured  them. 
Here  at  least  was  no  trace  of  battle  or  tumult. 

The  long  July  day  faded  slowly  away  and 
still  he  walked.  Now  that  the  capital  was  far 
behind  him,  occasionally  there  were  village  peo- 
ple to  be  seen  tending  their  fields:  yet  it  was 
plain  that  they  watched  the  roads  and  feared 
every  movement  on  them.  Still  the  mere  pres- 
ence of  people  reassured  him.  Immediate 
danger  there  could  be  none :  otherwise  not  a  hu- 
man being  would  he  have  seen.  Even  the  lack 
of  travellers  could  be  easily  explained.  How 
could  people  travel  when  there  were  no  convey- 
ances for  hire?  Every  mule  or  horse  was  cer- 
tainly hidden  away  as  a  measure  of  precaution, 
soldiers  always  seizing  these  first. 

Still,  in  spite  of  his  growing  confidence,  when- 

195 


196  WANG    THE    NINTH 

ever  he  saw  a  village  marked  out  like  an  island 
in  the  midst  of  the  cultivation  by  the  dense 
groves  of  trees, —  he  wasted  many  minutes  walk- 
ing far  around  so  as  to  avoid  all  danger.  He 
greatly  feared  to  go  into  them,  and  see  the  red 
cloth  and  the  mystic  signs  on  the  lintels  which 
proclaimed  adhesion  to  the  dread  cult.  Once, 
when  he  was  thinking  of  these  things,  he  came 
right  upon  a  man  lying  half-asleep  on  a  grassy 
bank  —  which  so  startled  him  that  he  ran  into 
the  fields  and  hid  for  many  minutes  before  he 
dared  resume  his  journey.  What  he  feared  most 
was  detention  —  being  seized  and  held  indefi- 
nitely for  his  wTorking-value  if  for  no  other  rea- 
son. Knowing  his  own  people  to  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts,  he  realized  how  easily  such  enslave- 
ments could  be  carried  out  —  particularly  in 
troubled  times.  A  week's  time  lost  might  spell 
ruination.  At  all  costs  he  must  avoid  being 
made  a  slave. 

Meanwhile  he  travelled  on.  Guided  by  the 
marvellous  sense  of  direction  which  the  Chinese 
possess  in  common  with  savage  races,  he  bore 
steadily  towards  the  southeast  where  his  goal 
lay.  No  twists  or  turns  confused  him ;  after  the 


WANG    T^E    NINTH  197 

longest  detour  he  recovered  the  exact  direction 
as  if  a  compass  were  set  before  him,  never  falter- 
ing or  pausing  an  instant,  but  always  hastening 
on  at  the  same  quick  gait. 

At  last  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  no  longer 
see  and  reluctantly  he  stopped.  Sitting  cross- 
legged  he  opened  his  bundle  of  Indian  corn  and 
with  a  sigh  of  relief  commenced  munching  the 
golden  grain.  He  ate  half  his  store  before  his 
hunger  was  appeased ;  and  then  he  drew  out  from 
his  tunic  two  peaches  that  he  had  stolen  from  an 
orchard  on  the  way.  As  for  drink,  an  hour  be- 
fore he  had  taken  the  precaution  to  draw  water 
from  an  irrigating-well  in  a  cabbage  patch  and 
he  had  drunk  so  deeply  that  he  was  no  longer 
troubled  by  thirst. 

Now  he  sat  in  the  night,  feeling  satisfied  by 
his  frugal  repast,  and  listening  to  the  sounds. 
Far  in  the  distance  village-dogs  were  barking 
monotonously  after  their  wont,  and  he  idly  tried 
to  calculate  how  distant  they  might  be.  Were 
they  barking  at  some  person  or  merely  baying  an 
evening  salute?  He  could  not  guess  and  soon  he 
listened  to  them  no  more. 

Presently  some  birds  on  a  tree  near  by  at- 


198  WANG   THE    NINTH 

tracted  his  attention  and  he  turned.  They  were 
fluttering  uneasily  as  if  something  were  disturb- 
ing them.  Without  a  sound  he  stole  under  the 
tree  and  listened  like  a  trapper.  His  keen  eyes 
and  his  animal  knowledge  presently  told  him 
what  had  taken  place;  and  he  gave  a  grunt 
of  disdain.  It  was  a  very  usual  occurrence  - 
a  bat  trying  to  invade  a  crows'  preserve  where 
there  was  rotting  food  stored.  With  a  sudden 
screech  the  invader  was  even  now  flying  away, 
beaten  off  by  the  fear  of  sharp  bills  and  sharper 
claws. 

Once  again  he  seated  himself  on  the  grassy 
bank.  He  half-regretted  now  that  he  had  not 
ventured  into  the  village  where  the  dogs  were 
barking.  It  was,  however,  too  late  to  move  - 
he  would  have  to  pass  the  night  where  he  was  - 
all  alone  where  the  fire-devils  might  trouble  him. 
There  were  sure  to  be  fire-devils  abroad;  for  al- 
though the  nearest  habitations  were  a  mile  away, 
the  square  of  pine-trees,  whose  tops  he  could 
just  make  out  against  the  horizon,  meant  a 
family  burial-ground  and  the  fire-devils  would 
chase  backwards  and  forwards  between  them 
and  the  village. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  199 

As  he  thought  of  that  he  hummed  to  himself 
quite  loudly  to  keep  the  spirits  off.  He  would 
not  have  minded  the  solitude  so  much  if  it  had 
not  been  for  them;  he  really  detested  the  fire- 
devils.  There  was  an  old  man  he  knew  who  was 
so  bothered  by  them  that  he  dare  not  walk  abroad 
after  dark.  It  is  true  that  they  belonged  to  a 
harmless  breed  and  were  very  different  from 
malignant  spirits.  They  only  bothered  people 
by  trying  to  open  doors  and  windows  at  night  so 
as  to  bring  in  fire.  Perhaps  they  would  not 
molest  him  in  the  open.  Lying  down  flat  on  his 
back  mechanically  he  thrashed  around  with  a 
stout  branch  he  had  picked  up  to  show  that  he 
was  on  the  alert.  But,  presently  being  tired 
from  his  long  exertions,  the  branch  moved  more 
and  more  slowly,  and  finally  slipped  to  the 
ground  where  it  lay  forgotten.  The  child-man 
slept ! 

Later  he  awoke  with  a  start.  The  waning 
moon  had  crept  into  the  sky  and  was  already 
creeping  out  of  it  again.  With  his  empirical 
knowledge  of  lunar  movements  he  knew  that 
dawn  was  still  far  off :  yet  he  sat  up  uneasily  and 
took  a  cast  at  the  eastern  horizon,  picking  up 


200  WANG    THE    NINTH 

the  guiding  stars  like  a  sailor.  Then  he  looked 
at  the  tops  of  the  pine-trees.  He  could  sleep  in 
peace.  There  was  no  possibility  of  light  for  a 
long  while.  As  he  was  in  unknown  country,  it 
was  quite  useless  starting  in  the  dark;  for  he 
might  blunder  into  danger  at  the  first  turn. 

Now  he  yawned,  and  as  he  lay  down  he  began 
calculating  how  far  he  had  travelled.  He  added 
and  subtracted  in  his  head  by  a  peculiar  method 
until  he  finally  produced  a  total  which  he  was 
convinced  was  correct.  He  was  at  least  sixty 
li  —  twenty  miles  —  from  the  capital,  which  was 
one  quarter  of  the  journey,  always  supposing  he 
must  travel  the  whole  distance.  One  quarter  of 
the  distance,  that  was  good.  Idly,  as  he  sat  up, 
he  struck  at  a  buzzing  insect  and  sniffed  the 
smell  of  dampness;  but  he  was  still  tired  and 
soon  he  sank  back  again  on  to  the  broad  earth's 
hard  bosom. 

The  next  time  when  he  awoke  it  was  broad 
daylight.  Full  of  consternation  he  jumped  up. 
The  sun  was  well  over  the  horizon  line,  and  hot 
beams  were  striking  him  on  the  face.  Hastily 
he  kicked  on  his  shoes,  picked  up  his  bundle  and 
his  branch,  and  started  off. 


WANG   THENINTH  201 

The  village  of  barking  dogs  grew  up  on  his 
left,  and  as  he  saw  a  long  country-cart  draw  out 
of  it  he  was  sorely  tempted  to  go  into  it  and  buy 
a  cup  of  tea.  But  with  admirable  resolution  he 
resisted  the  temptation,  and  trudged  steadily  on 
licking  his  parched  lips.  At  all  costs  he  must 
not  be  stopped  here  —  when  he  had  covered  just 
one  quarter  of  the  way. 

Presently  providence  willed  that  he  should 
come  to  a  little  stream.  He  lay  on  his  stomach 
and  drank  deep  gulps  of  the  refreshing  water 
with  thankfulness  in  his  heart.  Then,  when  his 
thirst  was  satisfied,  he  ducked  his  face  in  it  two 
or  three  times,  leaving  it  to  dry  in  the  warm  air 
as  he  walked  quickly  on. 

Twice  during  the  morning  he  robbed  orchards 
of  their  fruit,  once  having  to  run  hard  because 
he  was  chased  by  women  and  boys  who  cursed 
him  bitterly.  But  by  midday  all  his  Indian  corn 
was  gone  and  he  was  hungry  again.  A  little  dis- 
consolately he  lay  down  to  rest,  taking  off  his 
shoes  and  his  cloth  socks,  and  examining  his 
feet  which  were  chafed,  in  spite  of  their  hard- 
ness, by  his  steady  march. 

Now  he  calculated  anew.    He  was  sure  he  had 


202  WANG   THE   NINTH 

added  forty-five  li  to  the  sum  total ;  that  made  a 
hundred  and  five  in  all.  By  night  he  should  pass 
the  half-way  point  if  he  hastened.  Then  with 
luck  two  days  more  should  see  his  journey  over. 
Very  seriously,  he  picked  up  a  tiny  twig  and 
felt  in  his  ear  to  see  if  the  message  was  still 
packed  tight.  Yes. 

At  three  o'clock  in  spite  of  the  sun's  heat  he 
started  again.  Soon  his  face  was  streaming 
with  perspiration  and  though  he  stripped  off  his 
tunic  and  walked  naked  to  the  waist  the  water 
ran  down  his  little  brown  body  in  streams.  It 
was  so  hot  that  he  looked  suspiciously  at  the 
skies,  picking  out  the  signs  with  a  frown;  for 
this  was  a  complication  he  had  not  reckoned 
with.  There  would  be  a  thunderous  downpour 
within  a  few  hours  —  a  downpour  such  as  only 
tropical  lands  know,  which  puts  the  water  on 
the  roads  many  feet  deep.  .  .  . 

In  his  anxiety  he  broke  suddenly  into  a  jog- 
trot :  it  would  be  quite  impossible  for  him  to  pass 
the  night  in  the  open  in  such  circumstances.  He 
must  somehow  seek  a  safe  place. 

The  sun  was  sinking  fast  and  the  black  cloud- 
masses  were  piling  thick  when  to  his  surprise  to 


WANG    THE    NINTH  203 

the  west,  with  the  sun  throwing  it  into  bold  re- 
lief —  a  long  earth  embankment  grew  up. 

" T'u  ch'eng  (a  walled  city),"  he  exclaimed, 
wondering  where  he  had  got  to.  Very  slowly 
and  suspiciously  he  went  on,  watching  for  peo- 
ple and  trying  to  make  out  some  indication  of  a 
gateway.  But  there  was  no  one  about,  and  no 
gateway  to  be  discerned.  Moreover,  the  long 
earth  embankment  was  covered  with  grass. 

As  he  came  right  under  it,  he  paused  to  listen 
like  a  hunter  in  the  desert.  Not  a  sound.  He 
stopped  and  picked  up  pebbles  at  which  he 
looked  with  amazement.  All  the  ground  under 
the  rampart  was  littered  with  them.  What  did 
this  mean?  Very  carefully  he  scrambled  up  the 
incline  and  peered  over  with  his  mouth  open. 
There  were  fields  on  the  other  side  just  as  there 
were  fields  on  this  side.  Then  a  pile  of  half- 
burnt  timber  struck  his  eyes,  and  he  burst  into 
a  laugh  at  his  foolishness. 

"  The  railway !  "  he  exclaimed. 

It  was  even  so  —  he  had  swerved  farther  to  the 
North  than  he  had  allowed  for.  This  was  the 
destroyed  railway  —  along  which  the  foreign 
army  had  advanced.  It  had  been  completely  de- 


204  WANG    THE    NINTH 

stroyed  so  that  there  could  be  no  possibility  of 
its  ever  being  used  again. 

This  evidence  of  the  ruthless  war  which  had 
come  and  gone  made  him  stand  there  mute.  He 
was  so  absorbed  that  for  a  number  of  minutes  he 
did  not  move,  searching  with  his  eyes  in  every 
direction  for  friend  or  foe.  A  terrific  peal  of 
thunder  brought  him  to,  however;  and  since 
there  was  nothing  for  it,  he  broke  into  a  jog-trot 
along  the  embankment. 

A  big  drop  of  rain  smote  him  in  the  face  and 
he  went  still  faster.  It  would  not  take  long 
now  before  the  rain  came  in  streams.  Vivid 
blinding  flashes  of  lightning  now  lit  up  the  piling 
clouds,  and  the  thunder  commenced.  There 
would  be  ropes  of  water  soon  —  enough  to  drown 
a  man. 

The  embankment  was  rough  under  his  feet  and 
covered  with  debris,  but  he  feared  to  leave  it. 
One  foot  was  bleeding  from  a  sharp  piece  of  iron 
that  had  gone  clean  through  his  cloth  shoe;  but 
he  scarcely  felt  the  pain  and  soon  the  rain 
washed  it  clean.  On  he  ran,  bedraggled  and  be- 
ginning to  feel  cold,  but  with  his  indomitable 
pluck  still  strong  in  him.  Through  the  mist  of 


WANG   THE    NINTH  205 

water  he  saw  a  thing  rise  up:  it  was  a  tiny 
brick-house.  He  was  too  ignorant  of  railways 
to  know  that  it  was  a  linesman's  house  —  or  all 
that  remained  of.  ...  For  him  it  represented  a 
haven  of  refuge  —  if  the  roof  were  still  intact. 
He  ran  on  falling  several  times  in  his  haste  and 
almost  blinded  by  the  rain  which  came  down  in 
sheets  of  water,  and  deafened  by  the  roar  of 
thunder  which  was  now  unending.  .  .  . 

At  last ! 

He  tumbled  through  the  doorway  exhausted 
and  panting.  Here  was  a  roof  to  shelter  him. 
Two  men  who  had  taken  refuge  there,  called 
loudly  in  their  alarm  at  his  sudden  apparition. 
But  all  he  could  do  was  to  gasp  that  he,  too,  had 
been  surprised  by  the  storm  and  had  come  for 
refuge.  Then  he  flung  himself  on  the  ground 
and  lay  like  an  exhausted  dog,  panting  as  if  his 
heart  would  break. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PRESENTLY  he  felt  better  and  began  to 
take  stock  of  the  two  other  intruders. 
Though  he  was  as  bedraggled  and  as 
tired  as  if  he  had  been  ducked  in  a  stream,  his 
wits  did  not  desert  him,  nor  was  his  caution 
relaxed. 

So  far  as  he  could  see,  they  were  mere  villag- 
ers surprised  by  the  storm.  He  looked  keenly 
to  see  some  trace  of  the  red  girdle,  or  any  of  the 
dread  insignia  which  had  brought  convulsions 
to  the  land  —  but  there  was  nothing  more  menac- 
ing in  each  man's  belt  than  a  sickle. 

"  Ai-ya,"  he  exclaimed,  purposely  pretending 
to  shiver  from  the  cold  and  wet,  and  screwing 
up  his  ugly  intelligent  face  as  he  studied  them. 
"  Certainly  it  is  a  piece  of  ill-luck  to  be  caught 
by  such  weather.  What  an  amount  of  water! 
If  I  had  only  shown  caution  I  should  have 
stopped  an  hour  ago.  Still  fortune  favoured  me 
when  I  caught  sight  of  this  roof.  Without  it,  it 

206 


WANG    THE    NINTH  207 

would  be  hard  to  say  what  would  have  hap- 
pened." 

The  two  men  grunted  but  made  no  other  audi- 
ble response. 

Conversation  was  indeed  difficult.  Peals  of 
thunder  rang  out  incessantly  and  the  blinding 
lightning  only  served  to  show  the  torrential 
downpour  which  was  fast  converting  tjie  country 
into  a  lake.  In  the  oncoming  darkness  the  nar- 
row brick  hut  seemed  gloomy  and  uninviting; 
and  the  sullenness  of  the  two  men,  crouching  as 
far  from  the  gaping  doorway  as  possible,  added 
to  the  disheartening  nature  of  the  hour. 

"  I  am  on  my  way  to  rejoin  my  uncle,'1  resumed 
the  boy  still  plucky  as  ever,  and  determined  to 
profit  by  this  opportunity  to  acquire  informa- 
tion. "  I  have  travelled  nearly  a  hundred  li  but 
I  lost  my  way  when  the  storm  came  on.  What 
is  the  nearest  village?  " 

"  Langfang,"  said  one  of  the  two  abruptly. 

"  Langfang,"  he  echoed,  starting  up  in  his  ex- 
citement in  spite  of  his  fatigue.  Then,  fearful 
that  he  had  acted  his  part  badly  by  betraying  un- 
accountable emotion,  he  sank  back  again  in  his 
semi-recumbent  position  against  the  wall. 


208  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Langfang.  .  .  . 

He  had  reached  the  very  spot  where  the 
foreign  army  had  been  a  month  before  —  where 
a  great  battle  had  taken  place.  His  master  had 
described  to  him  how  urgent  messages  had  come 
from  here  —  four  in  the  space  of  two  days  —  de- 
claring that  the  army  was  advancing  as  fast  as 
possible  —  fighting  as  it  advanced  and  repairing 
the  railway  which  was  being  attacked  and  de- 
stroyed by  countless  levies.  But  after  those 
messages,  there  had  been  a  great  silence  which 
had  lasted  so  long  that  a  consuming  fear  had 
come.  Had  all  been  massacred?  No  one  knew, 
no  one  had  been  able  to  discover  the  slightest 
hint  as  to  what  had  happened.  That  was  why  he 
was  here ;  that  was  why  he  had  been  sent  out  as 
a  folorn  hope. 

As  he  thought  these  thoughts  he  stole  nearer 
the  gaping  doorway  in  spite  of  the  splashing  rain 
which  blew  in  in  great  gusts.  Now  he  pretended 
to  be  closely  studying  the  prospect.  He  must 
find  out  something  further. 

"  It  is  lifting  a  bit  to  the  west,"  he  exclaimed, 
pointing  with  a  hand  to  a  spot  where  the  inky 
blackness  was  indeed  giving  way  to  light.  "  If 


WANG   THE    NINTH  209 

the  wind  comes  there  will  be  a  chance  of  its 
ceasing.  I  estimate  the  worst  is  over  —  the 
lightning  and  thunder  are  certainly  less." —  He 
turned.  "  Tell  me :  was  there  not  fighting  here 
last  month?  It  was  so  rumoured  in  our  local- 
ity? " 

The  man  nearest  him  answered.  He  seemed 
to  speak  reluctantly  as  of  matters  which  he 
wished  to  forget. 

"  It  is  so.  The  foreign  devils  came  along  the 
railway  as  far  as  the  station  which  is  six  H  from 
here.  For  two  days  in  our  village  we  heard  the 
firing  which  continued  without  ceasing  even  dur- 
ing the  night.  Some  of  our  people  saw  the 
foreign  soldiers  on  this  embankment  extending 
many  li,  with  big  guns  on  the  trains.  It  was 
said  that  they  were  sailors  from  ships.  But 
great  numbers  of  our  regiments  surrounded 
them,  and  in  the  end  all  were  killed." 

"  All  were  killed  —  none  were  left?  "  cried  the 
boy. 

"  Who  knows !  "  rejoined  the  man  sullenly  as 
if  this  talk  was  increasingly  distasteful  to  him. 
"  So  we  were  told.  It  was  not  our  business. 
Some,  who  ventured  near  afterwards,  picked  up 


210  WANG    THE    NINTH 

weapons  in  the  fields  and  many  cartridges. 
There  were  cartridges  scattered  for  many  li, — 
baskets  and  baskets  of  them  were  gathered." 

"  But  the  dead  —  what  of  the  dead?  " 

The  man  made  an  angry  gesture. 

"  How  could  we  know?  Men  armed  with 
swords  were  camped  everywhere  and  we  were 
afraid.  There  were  men  without  number. 
They  destroyed  the  railway;  and  in  the  end 
every  piece  of  iron  and  timber  was  carried  away 
so  that  it  could  never  be  restored." 

The  boy's  eyes  never  moved  from  the  man's 
face.  It  was  difficult  to  say  whether  he  believed 
him  or  not. 

"  And  now  —  where  is  the  fighting  now  — 
have  all  the  devils  been  driven  into  the  sea?  " 

"  We  have  no  knowledge,"  rejoined  the  other 
gloomily.  "  Only  we  know  that  everywhere 
there  is  still  danger.  Men  in  our  village  were 
taken  forcibly  to  drive  wagons  for  our  soldiers. 
At  any  moment  it  is  said  the  soldiers  may  re- 
turn." 

The  boy  pretended  to  whimper : 

" M-ya,"  he  exclaimed  again.  "  I  must  travel 
sixty  li  further  to  find  my  uncle.  It  is  doubly 


WANG    THE    NINTH  211 

dangerous  for  rue  since  I  do  not  even  know  the 
road  to  Yangtsun."  (He  named  a  point  twenty 
miles  farther  on.) 

"  Yangtsun  —  that  was  safe  yesterday.  Two 
of  our  men  returned,  having  made  their  escape 
from  the  transport  service.  They  declared  that 
all  the  soldiers  had  gone." 

"But  where  —  in  what  direction?" 

"  It  is  not  known/'  said  the  man  curtly  be- 
cause the  question  revived  his  fears.  "  It  was 
enough  for  our  fellows  to  be  set  free  —  they  did 
not  stop  to  inquire  what  their  captors  might  be 
doing." 

The  boy  suddenly  sat  down  with  his  knees 
drawn  up  against  his  chest  in  a  characteristic 
attitude  which  signified  excitement  which  he 
wished  to  conceal.  He  was  not  as  cold  as  he 
had  been  because  he  was  so  greatly  excited.  His 
cotton  clothing  was  indeed  beginning  to  dry  from 
the  heat  of  his  body;  and  as  he  now  stripped  off 
his  shoes  and  cloth  socks  he  felt  almost  comfort- 
able in  spite  of  his  hunger. 

"  These  are  frightening  days,"  he  exclaimed 
sententiously.  "  Truly  one  hears  enough  every 
hour  to  make  one  fear  to  live." 


212  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Now  he  sorted  all  he  had  heard  out  on  a  sys- 
tem based  on  an  intimate  knowledge  of  his  fel- 
low-countrymen's methods  in  the  face  of  clamant 
danger.  Probably  these  men,  after  their  kind, 
had  fled  far  from  their  village  into  the  back 
country  on  the  first  inkling  of  trouble  —  they 
had  certainly  disappeared  as  soon  as  the  first 
shots  had  been  fired  in  the  battle  they  had  de- 
scribed. What  they  had  related  was  mere  hear- 
say which  had  become  greatly  exaggerated  with 
the  passage  of  time.  It  was  certain,  of  course, 
that  the  foreign  army  had  retreated;  otherwise 
the  railway  would  never  have  been  so  completely 
destroyed.  But  he  did  not  believe  that  all  had 
been  killed.  That  would  mean  that  he  would  only 
find  emptiness  at  the  end  of  his  journey.  It  had 
been  rumoured  that  all  foreign  ships  had  been 
sunk  or  set  fire  to  so  as  to  remove  all  possibility 
of  flight  and  to  secure  the  death  of  all  foreign 
men  and  women.  Still  he  did  not  believe  that 
any  of  these  things  had  really  happened.  They 
had  been  tried  perhaps.  That  was  it  —  tried. 
Experience  had  taught  him  that  the  foreigners 
were  far-seeing.  They  would  never  have  al- 
lowed themselves  to  be  trapped  like  that. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  213 

A  sudden  movement  roused  him  from  this 
brown  study.  In  his  fatigue  he  had  nearly 
dozed  off.  Both  the  men  had  risen  and  were 
now  standing  at  the  doorway,  calculating  aloud 
their  chances  of  getting  home.  The  rain  had 
certainly  greatly  slackened,  and  although  it  was 
still  coming  down  heavily  the  worst  was  mani- 
festly over.  But  in  half-an-hour  it  would  be 
completely  dark:  it  was  now  or  never  for  these 
two. 

They  suddenly  made  up  their  minds.  Strip- 
ping themselves  naked  to  the  waist  and  rolling 
up  their  loose  trousers  to  their  thighs,  they 
stepped  out  with  a  gruff  word  of  farewell. 

Once  more  the  boy  was  left  to  his  own  de- 
vices. 

The  moment  they  were  gone  he  peered  into  the 
corner  where  they  had  been  sitting.  Yes  —  they 
had  been  grass-cutting.  Two  large  bundles  of 
grass  were  stacked  in  the  corner.  Without  com- 
punction, he  tore  off  the  sweet-potato  vine  which 
bound  the  bundles;  distributed  the  grass  com- 
fortably on  the  ground  and  then  plunged  luxuri- 
ously into  it.  He  knew  that  they  would  not  re- 
turn until  the  morrow  and  by  that  time  he  would 


2U  WANG    THE    NINTH 

be  far  away.  The  steady  fall  of  the  rain  and  the 
warmth  of  the  grass  soon  lulled  him  to  sleep, 
and  in  spite  of  his  hunger,  he  slept  with  that 
deepness  which  only  comes  to  those  who  toil. 

When  he  finally  awoke,  the  stillness  and  clear- 
ness of  the  night  made  him  creep  to  the  doorway 
and  look  out.  It  had  entirely  stopped  raining, 
and  every  cloud  had  vanished.  The  waning 
moon,  lower  than  ever  in  the  horizon,  shed  a  pale 
light  over  the  water-logged  country  out  of  which 
peered  the  tall  kaoliang  in  ominous  black 
patches.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  see  it  was  like 
that;  and  as  he  stood  and  looked  he  knew  that 
had  it  not  been  for  the  embankment  he  would 
have  been  as  good  as  lost.  It  might  be  days  be- 
fore it  was  dry  enough  to  travel  more  than  short 
distances  at  a  time  on  the  roads.  The  sunken 
roads  had  become  mere  water-courses;  and  as 
for  the  mud  in  the  fields  that  would  be  enough 
to  defy  the  stoutest  resolution. 

He  drew  a  deep  breath.  Certainly  this  was 
an  undertaking  such  as  he  had  never  dreamed 
of.  Yet  he  was  not  disheartened.  He  tightened 
his  belt  to  lessen  the  gnawings  of  hunger  and 
poked  his  fingers  into  his  ribs  which  were  stick- 


WANG   THE    NINTH  215 

ing  out  of  his  thin  body  in  a  queer  way.  For  the 
second  time  since  he  had  started  he  had  gone 
for  nearly  a  day  without  food.  Yet  with  the 
curious  eastern  passivity,  which  can  bear  any- 
thing so  long  as  it  is  a  mere  question  of  patience, 
he  waited  tranquilly  until  the  first  ray  of  dawn 
before  he  moved. 

It  came  at  last,  at  about  four  in  the  morning. 
Grasping  his  staff  and  his  little  bundle  he  started 
stumblingly  along  the  embankment  which  ran 
as  straight  as  an  arrow  to  the  sea.  He  knew 
that  he  must  meet  people  very  soon;  for  this 
being  the  only  possible  road,  men  from  the  vil- 
lages would  inevitably  gravitate  towards  it. 

It  was  hardly  full  daylight  when  he  reached 
what  remained  of  the  nearest  station.  This  was 
Langfang.  The  buildings  had  been  burnt,  and 
here  and  there  were  great  gaps  in  the  walls  as 
from  shell-fire.  But  it  was  not  that  which  set 
him  running :  it  was  a  long  spiral  of  grey  smoke 
rising  from  a  lean-to  of  matting  and  boards 
which  had  been  put  up  against  one  of  the  brick 
walls.  Somebody  was  cooking  —  food  was  in 
sight,  .  .  . 

He  loosened  a  string  of  cash  in  his  belt  as  he 


216  WANG    THE    NINTH 

ran,  forgetting  everything  in  the  immense  de- 
sire to  eat  which  overcame  him.  A  woman  ap- 
peared at  the  door  of  the  lean-to.  She  was  of 
the  poorest  class,  with  dishevelled  hair  and  of 
slatternly  appearance ;  but  behind  her  was  a  man 
with  a  bowl  in  his  hand. 

"  Ta-ko  (elder  brother)  !  "  he  exclaimed  in  the 
manner  of  the  people.  "  I  have  not  eaten  since 
I  lost  my  way  yesterday  morning.  I  have  yet 
money  for  a  meal.  Give  me  to  eat." 

He  handed  over  his  diminutive  holed  coins  as 
though  they  were  all  he  had  in  the  world.  The 
woman  took  them  and  counted  them  carefully 
before  she  was  satisfied.  Then  a  bowl  of  little 
millet  and  a  trifle  of  salted  cabbage  was  set  be- 
fore him;  and  he  ate  as  though  he  had  never 
eaten  before. 

"  I  will  have  another,"  he  said  instantly,  ten- 
dering the  emptied  bowl. 

"  What,"  cried  the  woman,  "  you  would  eat  all 
our  store  for  one  small  tiao  of  money?  " 

Disdainfully  he  took  more  of  the  small  coins 
from  his  belt  and  placed  them  in  her  hand. 

"  Give  me  as  much  as  I  can  eat  and  I  will  pay 
at  the  rate  demanded." 


WANG   THE   NINTH  217 

This  time  two  rough  flour-cakes  were  added  to 
the  bowl  of  millet  for  the  price;  and  when  he 
had  finished  he  was  given  a  cup  of  poor  tea. 

"  The  money  is  exhausted,"  said  the  woman 
when  he  tried  to  get  more.  But  now  his  spirits 
had  risen  and  his  defiant  manner  had  returned. 

"  See  here,"  he  exclaimed,  taking  out  and  ring- 
ing on  a  stone  one  of  the  small  silver  coins  which 
the  master  had  given  him  to  show  that  it  was 
not  base  metal.  "  I  have  a  good  coin  and  as  I 
must  reach  Yangtsun  this  evening  to  find  my 
uncle  I  will  purchase  enough  to  carry  me  there." 

"  Silver !  "  exclaimed  the  woman  in  the  same 
covetous  tones  the  priest  had  used.  "  You  carry 
silver ! " 

The  coin  passed  from  the  hand  of  the  man  to 
the  hand  of  the  woman  and  then  back  again 
twice  before  a  bargain  was  struck.  But  finally 
it  was  agreed  that  for  the  price  he  could  take  the 
sixteen  small  and  very  rough  flour-cakes  that 
were  ready. 

He  ate  four  of  them  as  he  stood  there,  and 
stowed  away  the  others,  talking  to  the  couple 
with  his  mouth  full  all  the  while.  And  when 
the  woman's  back  was  turned  he  nearly  emptied 


218  WANG   THE   NINTH 

the  coarse  earthen  tea-pot  which  she  had  pre- 
pared for  the  delectation  of  her  man,  feeling  now 
that  matters  had  been  equalized.  Then  he 
scrambled  up  the  embankment  and  hastened  on. 

The  sun  rose  and  he  sweated  just  as  the  night 
before  he  had  shivered.  Presently  he  overtook 
a  party  of  men  with  heavy  saddlebags  on  their 
shoulders  who  said  that  they  were  bound  for 
Yangtsun.  His  heart  leaped  within  him  as  he 
heard  that  and  without  further  ado  he  attached 
himself  to  them.  They  were  all  timid  and 
frightened,  but  they  said  that  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  to  push  on  since  their  business  de- 
manded it.  Also  they  were  too  much  concerned 
about  themselves  and  the  dangers  they  might  en- 
counter to  ask  him  a  single  question  —  except- 
ing the  inevitable  one  as  to  whether  he  had  seen 
soldiers. 

"  It  is  said  all  of  them  have  left  Yangtsun," 
they  repeated  again  and  again  to  him,  appar- 
ently to  reassure  themselves.  "  Otherwise  we 
should  have  never  started.  For  ten  days  we 
have  been  waiting  in  a  village  and  now  that  the 
rains  have  closed  the  roads  we  decided  to  risk 


WANG   THE   NINTH          219 

the  journey  along  the  railway.  Several  have 
done  it  safely  already." 

"  You  were  wise,  you  were  wise,"  agreed  the 
boy,  "  I,  too,  have  been  forced  to  travel  owing 
to  death  in  our  family.  I  go  to  find  my  uncle 
who  is  employed  in  a  wine  factory." 

"  So  small  and  yet  not  alarmed,"  commented 
one  wonderingly. 

"  What  would  you,"  rejoined  the  boy,  "  when  a 
house  is  on  fire  even  the  timid  must  act." 

This  sententious  remark,  which  he  had  often 
heard  his  seniors  use,  and  which  his  ready  mem- 
ory had  stored  for  use,  so  favourably  impressed 
the  three  that  presently  when  they  rested  they 
invited  him  to  share  their  food.  His  prodigious 
appetite  amused  them  —  he  ate  everything  that 
was  offered  down  to  the  last  crumb.  But  when 
one  produced  a  leather  bottle  and  a  little  pewter 
wine-cup  and  offered  him  a  drink,  his  caution 
returned.  He  knew  well  from  experience  that 
drowsiness  would  rapidly  come  if  he  indulged 
himself. 

"  I  am  unable  to  use  wine,"  he  said  in  the  set 
phrase  of  the  native  teetotaller. 


220  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  We  trust  that  your  uncle  will  reward  you,'' 
they  remarked  approvingly. 

"  I  am  only  a  clumsy  fellow  unable  to  read 
and  entirely  untrained,"  he  answered  in  the  way 
which  modesty  and  good  manners  demanded. 

It  was  late  afternoon  before  they  saw  the  town 
of  Yangtsun  loom  up  in  front  of  them.  It  was 
easy  to  make  out,  as  a  long  low  city  wall  flanked 
it.  Several  others  had  joined  the  party  and  the 
conversation  was  general,  each  trying  to  pick  up 
something  from  his  fellows  which  would  reas- 
sure him. 

"  It  is  said  that  our  soldiers  are  massed,  less 
than  twenty  K  from  here,  and  that  there  is  the 
remnants  of  a  foreign  army  who  have  taken 
refuge  in  an  arsenal  opposed  to  them,"  said  the 
latest  arrival. 

"  Is  that  supposition  true,  do  you  think? " 
asked  the  boy  in  an  undertone  of  the  three  men 
with  the  saddlebags. 

"We  fear  so,"  they  said  in  the  same  under- 
tone, "  for  the  seaport  is  closed  to  all.  Our  busi- 
ness is  there  and  many  bales  of  our  wool  are  in- 
volved. Our  plan  is  to  remain  in  hiding  in 
Yangtsun  until  it  is  possible  to  move.  One  way 


WANG   THE   NINTH  221 

or  another  the  fighting  is  sure  to  go.  Then,  by 
some  path,  we  may  be  able  to  reach  the  seaport 
which  we  must  do  to  save  our  interests  from 
ruin." 

The  boy  nodded. 

"  The  soldiers  are  the  only  problem.  If  we 
avoid  them  all  is  well.  There  may  be  a  way 
known  in  this  town." 

Now  he  determined  to  remain  attached  to  this 
trio  —  for  the  time  being  at  least  —  telling  them 
when  necessary  that  he  was  unable  to  find  his 
uncle  because  he  had  fled. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

HE  worked  ceaselessly  in  his  head  at  a 
plan  of  action  as  they  cautiously  ap- 
proached the  township,  which  had 
once  been  a  place  of  importance  but  had  now 
fallen  into  the  greatest  decay.  He  wished  to  be 
fully  provided  with  subterfuges  against  all  pos- 
sible contingencies.  He  had  a  deep  feeling  of 
excitement  —  the  conviction  that  the  great  test 
of  his  ability  was  slowly  coming  nearer.  For 
now  there  were  but  twenty  miles  of  the  journey 
left,  and  at  any  moment  it  might  become  impera- 
tive for  him  to  risk  everything  in  a  quick  for- 
ward '  rush.  His  intelligent  eyes  were  here, 
there,  and  everywhere. 

The  others  were  likewise  very  much  on  the 
qui  vive.  They  talked  incessantly  of  all  possible 
perils,  commiserating  with  one  another  at  being 
abroad  in  such  times  as  these.  Each  step  for- 
ward seemed  to  be  taken  more  reluctantly  than 
the  last.  Now  that  they  were  face  to  face  with 
real  danger,  they  had  every  wish  to  turn  back. 

222 


WANG    THE    NINTH  223 

A  few  hundred  yards  from  the  broken  mud 
wall  of  the  township  the  whole  party  halted  as 
by  a  common  impulse,  wondering  aloud  what 
they  should  do.  Then,  very  deliberately,  they 
approached  some  country  folks  who  had  stood 
watching  them  from  the  distance,  half-hidden  be- 
hind some  trees.  With  friendly  calls  and  wav- 
ing hands  they  marched  up,  hoping  that  they 
would  hear  something  reassuring. 

Nevertheless  these  people  could  tell  them  very 
little.  They  declared,  however,  that  the  reports 
that  all  the  soldiers  had  gone  for  good  were  not 
quite  true.  Small  detachments  were  constantly 
arriving  and  disappearing,  every  man  in  the 
provincial  militia  being  mustered  out  to  fight 
the  foreign  invader.  Only  that  morning  a  body 
of  infantry  had  passed  this  way,  but  whether 
they  were  still  in  the  township  they  had  not 
heard.  As  for  the  foreign  devils,  they  had  not 
been  driven  into  the  sea.  On  the  contrary  they 
had  become  stronger.  They  held  all  the  coun- 
try round  the  seaport,  and  it  was  said  that  many 
thousands  more  were  pouring  in.  In  any  case 
fighting  would  continue  for  a  long  time.  The 
foreign  army  was  determined  to  march  on  the 


224  WANG    THE    NINTH 

capital.  It  was  not  known  whether  the  prov- 
incial troops  could  entirely  stop  them.  There 
were  disagreements  among  the  commanders  al- 
ready; and  shots  had  been  exchanged. 

This  news  was  so  surprising  to  the  three  wool- 
dealers,  that  they  sat  down  on  a  fallen  tree-trunk 
and  began  talking  to  one  another  in  deep  under- 
tones. The  boy  muttered  angrily  to  himself  at 
the  stupidity  of  these  peasants.  He  suspected 
that  the  wool-dealers  were  concerting  a  new  plan 
whereby  they  might  slip  away  round  the  contend- 
ing armies  and  reach  their  destination  by  a 
totally  new  route.  Their  one  and  only  interest 
was  their  stock  of  wool.  They  had  already  men- 
tioned the  feasibility  of  making  a  great  detour 
to  the  south  to  gain  the  coast.  Then,  by  em- 
barking on  a  junk  a  hundred  miles  or  so  away, 
they  could  safely  reach  the  harbour  without  see- 
ing a  single  soldier.  This  would  be  no  doubt 
wise  for  them,  but  for  him  it  would  mean  a  delay 
of  many  days  —  a  disastrous  delay.  The  boy 
cursed  them  under  his  breath  for  their  cowardice 
and  wondered  whether  he  should  not  leave  them 
at  once.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  went  on  alone 
he  would  be  stripped  of  protection.  Masked  by 


WANG   THE    NINTH  225 

their  presence,  no  one  could  suspect  him  of  being 
a  secret  messenger. 

"And  is  there  security  here?"  inquired  one 
of  the  dealers  at  last  terminating  this  confiden- 
tial discussion. 

The  peasants  shook  their  heads. 

"  How  is  it  possible  to  talk  of  security,  when 
we  fear  at  any  moment  the  resumption  of  fight- 
ing? As  it  is,  until  the  kaoliang  is  cut  there 
will  be  no  protection  from  the  robber-bands  who 
lurk  in  the  tall  grain  far  and  wide,  following 
close  on  the  heels  of  the  soldiers." 

"  Robber  bands !  "  cried  the  wool-dealers  des- 
pairingly, starting  up  with  fear. 

"  Yes,"  chorussed  the  peasants.  "  Here  the 
bands  have  made  so  much  in  ransoms  that  they 
can  afford  to  rest  a  while  from  their  labours  — 
everything  has  been  taken  from  us,  all  our  poor 
savings.  But  the  country  to  the  southeast  is 
not  yet  clear.  We  have  just  heard  of  a  man  at 
Ko-chuan  who  has  been  carried  off  and  held  for 
a  big  sum,  the  ransom  even  including  firearms. 
Such  is  the  audacity  of  these  brigands  that  they 
force  their  victims  to  send  their  families  into 
the  towns  to  buy  their  weapons.  We  ourselves 


226  WANG    THE    NINTH 

were  watching  your  honourable  selves  approach- 
ing, fearing  some  wile  or  stratagem;  for  often 
does  it  happen  that  these  men  ply  their  trade  in 
the  guise  of  innocent  travellers." 

The  oldest  of  the  three  wool-dealers,  who  had 
grey  hair  and  a  face  mottled  from  over-indul- 
gence in  wine,  gave  voice  to  his  fears  openly  and 
unashamedly.  But  Wang  the  Ninth  smiled  to 
himself,  greatly  relieved.  Now  he  knew  that 
these  three  would  never  dare  to  go  to  the  south- 
east to  reach  the  coast. 

"  This  is  indeed  a  country  without  administra- 
tion !  The  people  are  oppressed  by  dangers  from 
within  and  without  and  it  is  impossible  to  know 
where  to  flee  for  safety.  And  the  Sword  Society, 
have  we  them  also  to  expect?"  Although  the 
old  wool-dealer  ended  the  phrase  indignantly,  he 
used  a  polite  term  for  fear  that  there  might  be 
adherents  listening. 

"  They  are  those  also  inside  the  walls  — "  re- 
joined one  of  the  countrymen,  pointing  to  the 
township.  "  But  at  the  beginning  of  the  trouble 
the  soldiers  fired  on  them  for  failing  to  make 
good  their  promise  that  they  were  invulnerable 


WANG    THE    NINTH  227 

and  could  instantly  defeat  the  foreign  devils. 
They  are  not  highly  valued  here." 

"  We  are  saved  from  one  ceremony,"  rejoined 
the  dealer  irately.  "  Six  times  have  I  kowtowed 
in  the  dust  since  the  Sword  Society  was  estab- 
lished." 

"  The  day  is  not  early,"  interrupted  Wang  the 
Ninth,  anxious  to  make  retreat  impossible. 
"  We  have  learnt  all  there  is  to  learn.  Those 
who  intend  to  proceed  had  better  delay  no  longer 
since  night  will  soon  fall." 

He  had  been  squatting  motionless  on  his  but- 
tocks —  tracing  designs  in  the  mud  with  his  staff 
whilst  his  quick  eyes  looked  slily  from  one 
speaker  to  another.  Now  he  rose  and  picked  his 
way  forward  through  the  morass  which  lay  ahead 
of  them,  plunging  and  sliding  in  the  mud  and 
often  pausing  to  take  breath.  The  heavy  rain 
had  reduced  this  low-lying  ground  to  a  veritable 
quagmire,  making  progress  very  difficult  even 
for  one  as  unburdened  as  he  was.  As  for  the 
unfortunate  wool-dealers,  laden  with  their  heavy 
saddle-bags,  they  had  not  gone  far  before  their 
cries  of  distress  became  hearty  and  real.  They 


228  WANG   THE    NINTH 

were  so  badly  mired  that  it  was  necessary  /or 
the  others  to  lend  a  hand  in  dragging  them 
out. 

At  last  they  gained  the  tumble-down  gate  of 
the  township,  splashed  to  the  shoulders  and 
panting  and  sweating.  Errant  dogs  barked  at 
them ;  but  the  shuttered  and  miserable  aspect  of 
the  main  street  showed  that  the  place  had  been 
totally  deserted  by  the  inhabitants. 

The  eldest  wool-dealer  was  now  quite  ex- 
hausted and  raised  his  voice  in  loud,  piteous 
complaints. 

"  I  should  have  never  undertaken  this 
journey,"  he  exclaimed,  stopping  short  to  wipe 
the  perspiration  from  his  lined  face.  "  From 
early  morning  have  I  had  great  misgivings  which 
have  oppressed  me.  Ruin  is  better  than  such 
travels." 

"  Tso  —  let  us  proceed,"  said  Wang  the  Ninth 
stoutly,  aiming  a  blow  at  a  barking  cur  which 
ran  off  yelping.  "  We  shall  find  a  sleeping-place 
somehow.  In  any  case  it  is  too  late  to  turn 
back,  for  whither  should  we  go?  " 

He  walked  on  briskly,  peering  keenly  in  every 
direction,  and  not  at  all  alarmed,  for  he  knew 


WANG    THE    NINTH  229 

that  no  one  would  hurt  a  boy  when  there  were 
men  with  saddlebags  accompanying  him. 

The  township  had  indeed  been  picked  clean  by 
looters  —  that  was  amply  clear  from  the  ruined 
appearance  of  every  shop  front.  The  robbers 
had  vied  with  the  soldiers,  and  what  was  left  had 
been  rejected  by  both.  But  at  last  they  reached 
a  big  caravansary  that  in  times  of  peace  catered 
to  the  cart-trade;  and  there  sitting  at  a  broken 
table  in  the  central  yard  was  a  single  servant 
eating  his  evening  meal  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened. The  man  declared  that  he  had  been  left 
by  his  master  with  the  promise  of  a  great  reward 
if  he  saved  the  premises  from  fire;  but  as  for 
food  or  lodging  there  was  nothing  to  be  had. 

A  great  parleying  ensued;  and  finally  in  re- 
turn for  hard  cash  hidden  food  was  produced. 
When  Wang  the  Ninth  had  eaten  his  share  he 
felt  extraordinarily  drowsy.  Going  into  the 
first  rough  room  he  could  find,  he  stretched  him- 
self on  the  raised  brick  k'ang  and  fell  instantly 
asleep. 

The  talk  about  robbers,  however,  made  him 
dream  bad  dreams  and  he  saw  whole  hosts  of 
evil  men  who  conspired  to  torture  him.  Yet 


230  WANG    THE    NINTH 

through  it  all  —  in  spite  of  his  alarm  —  he  al- 
ways seemed  to  see  his  master,  and  to  hear  the 
same  strange  foreign  words  which  had  urged 
him  forward  before.  Once  in  the  night  he  awoke 
with  a  cry,  fearing  for  his  life,  and  peered  out. 
Then  he  saw  through  the  broken  paper  windows 
the  three  wool-dealers  still  sitting  in  the  court- 
yard drinking  wine  from  their  leather  bottles 
and  babbling  their  fears.  The  shadows  from  the 
waning  moon  made  them  look  queer  and  strange ; 
they  were  like  men  submerged.  Half  their 
bodies  was  hidden  in  darkness,  and  only  when 
they  lifted  their  arms  to  drink  could  he  trace 
them  clearly.  The  inn-servant,  who  had  been 
included  in  this  jollification,  was  asleep  with  his 
head  on  the  table.  His  loud  breathing  was 
punctuated  by  groans  as  though  the  wine  he  had 
drunk  was  torturing  him.  Silently  the  boy 
crept  back  to  his  rough  couch  and  slept  once 
more. 

When  morning  came  he  went  out  down  the 
street  to  see  whatever  there  was  to  see;  but  he 
met  no  one  or  saw  no  signs  of  life,  excepting  a 
miserable  beggar  who  disappeared  at  once  and 
whom  he  had  no  wish  to  follow.  On  returning 


WANG    THE    NINTH  231 

to  the  inn  he  waited  until  the  wool-dealers  were 
awake ;  and  then  gave  them  a  long  account  of  his 
observations. 

"  It's  a  bad  business.  Everything  has  been 
taken,  not  a  mule,  not  an  animal,  not  a  pig,  not 
a  chicken  is  to  be  found.  There's  a  few  beggars 
—  that  is  all.  My  uncle,  whom  I  came  to  find, 
has  fled  with  the  rest  and  all  my  journeying  has 
proved  fruitless." 

"  Then  what  will  you  do?  "  they  inquired. 

"  I  have  no  plan,"  he  rejoined,  making  his  face 
look  very  glum.  "  I  must  take  things  as  I  find 
them." 

But  soon  afterwards,  when  he  found  the  eldest 
wool-dealer  alone,  he  made  this  proposition  to 
him: 

"  My  money  is  exhausted,  so  only  for  my  food 
will  I  travel  with  you,  finding  the  road  and  giv- 
ing you  early  warning  of  danger.  It  will  be  well 
for  you  to  have  such  a  one  as  me,  since  I  am 
fleet  off  foot  and  not  timid  by  nature." 

u  We  shall  see,  we  shall  see,"  rejoined  the  old 
man  testily.  "  The  cost  is  unimportant,  but  first 
must  we  wait  here  to  discover  the  nature  of  the 
road  ahead  of  us." 


232  WANG    THE    NINTH 

All  that  day  was  spent  in  fitful  debate.  The 
inn-servant,  who  declared  he  was  of  this  district, 
for  a  handsome  bribe  undertook  to  find  out  from 
villagers  the  state  of  the  road  towards  the  next 
township  which  was  ten  miles  off.  But  Wang 
the  Ninth,  who  followed  him  stealthily,  found 
that  he  went  nowhere,  only  sitting  down  for  a 
long  time  on  a  block  of  stone  in  a  back  street 
where  he  wras  well  hidden;  and  finally  returning 
to  say  that  there  was  no  trace  of  soldiers  and 
that  all  was  quiet  within  a  great  radius.  Wang 
the  Ninth  began  to  suspect  that  he  was  in  league 
with  the  robbers,  and  that  was  why  he  dared  to 
remain  in  a  place  where  there  were  hardly  a 
dozen  souls.  But  these  suspicions  he  kept  to 
himself  for  he  was  forming  his  plan. 

That  night  he  explained  it  privately  to  the 
eldest  wool-dealer,  drawing  lines  on  the  ground 
to  show  his  meaning.  He  said : 

"  I  have  discovered  that  the  river  to  the  sea  is 
only  a  few  li  distant  from  here,  and  that  all  the 
country  is  so  badly  flooded  that  if  we  cross  the 
stream  we  can  go  by  boat  through  the  marshes 
for  a  long  way.  Then  we  can  reach  a  point  only 
a  few  li  distant  from  the  harbour.  There  will  be 


WANG   THE    NINTH  233 

no  soldiers  about,  for  what  would  soldiers  be 
doing  in  marshes?  As  for  the  inn-servant  he  is 
a  rascal.  It  would  be  well  to  leave  here  before 
he  attempts  some  dangerous  game." 

The  wool-dealer  was  so  impressed  by  this  com- 
mon-sense that  he  called  the  others,  and  after 
mucli  discussion  it  was  finally  settled  that  the 
next  day  they  would  make  the  attempt. 

At  dawn  they  started,  creeping  out  of  the  inn 
very  carefully  so  as  to  give  no  hint  of  their  de- 
parture to  the  inn-servant  who  lay  soundly 
asleep.  They  were  out  of  the  township  very 
soon,  seeing  only  two  people  who  ran  and  hid 
the  moment  they  caught  sight  of  them.  Now 
hastening  due  south  they  made  for  the  river. 

The  sandy  roads  had  greatly  dried  during  the 
time  they  had  delayed  in  the  town;  and  now  it 
was  possible  to  keep  to  the  paths  which  led  from 
village  to  village.  A  couple  of  hours  from  the 
township  they  fell  in  with  some  men  who  were 
travelling  in  the  same  direction ;  and  after  these 
had  heard  where  they  had  passed  two  nights  they 
congratulated  them  on  their  escape. 

"  It  is  known  that  all  the  people  in  that  dis- 
trict are  in  league  with  the  brigands,"  explained 


234  WANG    THE    NINTH 

one  stout  fellow  who  carried  a  staff  tipped  with 
iron  and  who  had  a  big  roll  of  bedding  on  his 
shoulder.  "  It  can  only  be  that  the  inn-drawer 
was  waiting  for  his  band  to  return  before  killing 
and  robbing  you." 

It 'was  Wang  the  Ninth's  hour  of  triumph. 

"  Is  not  that  what  I  declared? "  he  cried. 
"  Lucky  have  we  been  to  escape.  From  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  fellow  answered  my  questions 
I  knew  suspicion  attached  to  him." 

"This  tu-ti  (apprentice)  is  worthy  of  his 
wage,"  said  the  eldest  wool-dealer  approvingly. 
"  Certain  it  is  that  his  abilities  are  not  small." 

On  they  went  discussing  their  plans  with  the 
newcomers  and  picking  up  what  news  there  was. 
Long  before  noon  they  caught  sight  of  a  sail, 
which  was  quite  unexpected  since  the  river  was 
entirely  hidden.  Wang  the  Ninth  ran  on  fleetly 
ahead.  But  when  he  caught  sight  of  the  bright 
red  and  blue  tunics  and  the  black  turbans  on  the 
boat,  he  ran  into  the  tall  grain  and  signed  vio- 
lently with  his  hands  to  the  others  to  hide. 
They,  too,  dropped  out  of  sight  like  marionettes. 

From  out  of  the  kaoliang  the  boy  now  peered, 


WANG    THE    NINTH  235 

x 

his  brown  face  hardly  distinguishable  from  the 
soil.  Now  he  worked  his  way  forward  like  a 
scout. 

The  boat  sailed  on  and  presently  there  was  a 
sharp  crack  from  a  rifle.  Gaining  in  courage  he 
crept  into  the  reeds  on  the  very  edge  of  the  river 
so  that  he  could  see. 

The  soldiers  were  firing  violently  now  one 
after  the  other.  The  boy's  quick  mind  instantly 
jumped  to  the  right  conclusion.  Being  power- 
less to  navigate  a  boat  properly,  they  were  pur- 
suing and  shooting  at  the  boatmen  who  had  fled. 

Suddenly  the  vessel  grounded  a  few  hundred 
yards  away.  Wang  the  Ninth  saw  the  soldiers, 
furious  with  rage,  leap  one  by  one  from  the  boat 
and  scramble  on  shore.  The  sound  of  firing  be- 
came fainter,  showing  that  the  pursuit  was  lead- 
ing them  far  away. 

It  was  now  or  never.  Fairly  crazy  with  ex- 
citement he  ran  back  to  the  wool-dealers  who 
lay  tremblingly  awaiting  the  upshot. 

"  Now  is  the  time  for  us,"  he  cried.  "  There 
is  not  a  soul  left.  Let  us  seize  the  boat  and 
cross  to  the  south  bank.  Then  we  are  safe." 


236  WANG   THE    NINTH 

He  did  not  wait  for  a  reply :  he  ran  on  ahead. 
The  wool-dealers  and  the  two  men  they  had  met 
followed  cautiously  a  good  many  yards  behind, 
doubting  his  words  yet  hoping  that  they  were 
true.  But  when  they  saw  him  reach  the  boat 
and  signal  that  all  was  clear,  they  ran  too;  and 
in  a  hurried  clumsy  manner  got  on  board  and  by 
their  united  efforts  pushed  the  boat  off,  towards 
the  south  shore. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  river  was  less  than  a  hundred  yards 
wide  here,  and  the  five  men  and  the  boy 
had  enough  skill  to  get  the  boat  across 
with  rapidity.  The  big  man  with  the  iron- 
pronged  stick,  seizing  an  oar,  rowed  frantically. 
One  of  the  wool-dealers  aided  him  by  poling  with 
desperation  until  the  water  became  too  deep. 
And  as  a  little  breeze  filled  the  hoisted  sail,  they 
swung  on  to  the  opposite  shore  at  a  point  far 
lower  down  than  they  had  embarked. 

It  was  this  circumstance  which  saved  their 
lives.  For  Wang  the  Ninth,  sitting  astride  of 
the  tiller,  and  turning  back  constantly  to  look 
suddenly  gave  &  great  leap  and  was  out  of  the 
boat  before  there  was  time  to  realize  what  he 
was  doing. 

"  Lai-la,  lai-la  (they  have  come)  !  "  he  screamed 
as  he  tumbled  across  the  mud  with  the  agility 
of  a  frog.  He  had  seen  a  glint  of  red  in  the 
reeds  on  the  opposite  shore  —  just  a  glint  —  but 
that  was  enough. 

The  others,   being  less   nimble,  crawled  out 

237 


238  WANG   THE    NINTH 

using  the  sail  as  a  screen.  Then,  trembling 
violently,  all  of  them  disappeared  quickly  enough 
into  the  reeds  which  grew  rank  and  high. 
Distant  voices  shouting  curses  were  audible  as 
they  went;  but  the  rifles  they  feared  did  not 
speak.  The  soldiers  were  running  along  the  op- 
posite bank  fairly  mad  with  rage ;  it  was  evident 
that  they  knew  the  country  and  were  holding 
their  fire  until  they  could  be  certain  of  their 
quarry. 

The  fugitives  had  not  gone  twenty  yards  be- 
fore they  discovered  that  the  great  clumps  of 
reeds  were  no  real  protection;  for  the  ground 
was  so  marshy  that  the  only  safe  road  was  the 
tracking-path  beside  the  river.  Already  they 
were  surrounded  by  mud  and  water.  The  sol- 
diers counted  on  their  certain  reappearance  when 
they  would  begin  their  shooting. 

It  was  the  big  fellow  with  the  iron-pronged 
stick  who  explained  this  to  them  all  in  a  guttural 
whisper,  when  they  reached  the  end  of  the  solid 
ground  and  stood  in  an  irresolute  group.  Some 
wild-fowl  rising  almost  from  under  their  feet 
with  a  screech  startled  them  all  so  badly  that 
they  turned  deadly  pale. 


WANG   THE    NINTH  239 

"  A  pretty  dilemma ! ''  exclaimed  one  of  the 
wool-merchants  in  a  hoarse  whisper.  "  We  can- 
not advance;  we  dare  not  retreat.  And  if  we 
remain  here  too  long,  in  the  end  the  soldiers  will 
find  another  boat  to  carry  them  across  and  exact 
vengeance,  or  perhaps  fire  chance  shots,  hoping 
to  bring  us  down.  Far  better  had  we  never 
moved.'' 

But  Wang  the  Ninth  was  not  idle.  He  had 
stripped  off  his  shoes  and  his  trousers  and  had 
commenced  wading  in  a  new  direction.  Soon  he 
was  lost  to  sight,  even  his  splashing  becoming  in- 
audible. But  after  a  long  wait  he  reappeared, 
forcing  his  way  through  the  reeds  from  a  differ- 
ent direction. 

"  I  have  found  a  bank  of  dry  land.  How  far 
it  extends  I  have  not  learnt,  but  if  all  follow  it 
may  be  that  we  can  reach  safety." 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  imitate  his  ex- 
ample, and  soon  all  were  splashing  through  the 
mud  and  water  to  where  he  awaited  them.  A 
half-submerged  bank  of  earth,  which  may  have 
been  a  forgotten  dyke,  stretched  away  through 
the  reeds,  and  although  it  soon  narrowed  down  to 
a  path  just  broad  enough  to  walk  on,  it  led  them 


240  WANG   THE    NINTH 

far  away  from  the  river  —  straight  to  the  south. 

Their  spirits  rose  so  rapidly  as  they  prog- 
ressed that  now  they  began  to  talk  almost  gaily. 

"  It  is  a  reed-cutters'  path,  that  is  absolutely 
certain/'  asserted  Wang  the  Ninth.  "  Soon  we 
must  reach  a  village,  for  this  is  an  important 
trade  and  I  know  well  how  this  business  is  car- 
ried on." 

"  This  boy  is  right,"  agreed  the  man  with  the 
iron-pronged  stick.  "  Certainly  he  is  right : 
there  is  already  smoke  from  some  chimney." 

It  was  even  as  he  said.  Soon  from  out  of  the 
dense  reeds  they  heard  the  sound  of  cries  and  a 
scurrying  of  feet. 

" Shui — (who  is  that)?"  a  voice  called 
threateningly. 

"  We  are  travellers  —  we  require  to  be  shown 
the  road,"  they  called,  one  after  the  other,  keep- 
ing up  a  perpetual  chorus  for  fear  of  what  would 
happen  if  they  remained  silent. 

Rounding  the  last  clump  of  reeds  they  saw  a 
village  of  mud  huts.  In  front  of  a  small  open 
space,  on  which  were  piled  masses  of  dried  reeds, 
stood  a  big  fellow  stripped  to  the  waist  with  a 
formidable  jingal  in  his  hand;  and  at  his  side 


WANG    THE    NINTH  241 

were  some  barking  dogs.  He  was  evidently  pre- 
pared for  the  worst. 

His  expression  slowly  changed  as  they  came 
in  view.  The  appearance  of  the  wool-dealers, 
heavily  laden  with  their  saddle-bags  and  greatly 
exhausted  by  their  efforts,  was  certainly  emi- 
ently  peaceful;  and  now  as  their  chorus  of  ex- 
planations redoubled,  a  new-found  courage  dis- 
played itself  in  his  roughness. 

"  What  talk  of  seeking  a  road  is  this !  "  he  ex- 
claimed angrily.  "  This  is  a  small  poor  village 
surrounded  by  water,  where  we  risk  starvation 
from  year  to  year  and  where  there  is  nothing 
for  others." 

They  answered  him  in  a  storm  of  talk  speak- 
ing so  much  of  soldiers  that  fear  returned  to 
him. 

"  If  they  pursue  you  it  is  best  for  you  to  pro- 
ceed quickly,"  he  rejoined,  not  listening  to  them. 
"  Here  are  women  and  children  who  cannot  be 
imperilled." 

"  But  the  road,  the  road,"  they  cried.  "  We 
cannot  fail  to  pay  you  your  stipulated  price." 

At  the  mention  of  money  the  reed-cutter 
rubbed  his  face  with  one  horny  hand. 


242  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  Those  who  ask  aid  must  make  it  worth 
while,"  he  declared  ambiguously.  "  I  was  left 
here  by  our  folk  to  protect  the  households.  If 
I  go  who  is  there  to  insure  safety?  " 

A  long  and  animated  argument  commenced; 
and  as  it  progressed,  slowly  and  cautiously  the 
denizens  of  the  village  approached  —  slatternly 
women  in  torn  blue  clothing  with  babies  in  their 
arms,  and  half-grown  girls,  and  small  boys,  all 
the  offspring  of  a  mating  carried  on  as  in  pri- 
meval forests,  and  now  stricken  with  fear. 

At  length  the  price  was  settled,  and  the  reed- 
cutter  led  them  to  where  a  small  flat-bottomed 
boat  was  concealed  in  the  reeds.  This  it  was 
necessary  to  carry  a  considerable  distance;  but 
finally  it  was  launched  where  there  was  a  clear 
water-passage.  It  was  just  big  enough  to  em- 
bark them  all;  and  with  the  reed-cutter  poling 
them,  they  slowly  travelled  away  from  the  scene 
of  the  day's  adventure. 

The  sun  was  already  low  when  the  man 
stopped  and  pointed  to  a  spot  a  few  hundred 
yards  away. 

"  There  will  I  take  you,"  he  said.     "  Farther 


WANG   THE    NINTH  243 

I  cannot  go.  From  there  a  good  road  leads  to 
the  seaport  which  is  distant  some  eighty  li." 

"  Eighty  li,"  they  cried  in  alarm.  "  This 
morning  when  we  started  we  were  but  sixty  li 
off." 

"  But  you  have  travelled  far  to  the  south- 
east. This  is  the  southeastern  road.  In  any 
case  it  is  eighty  li." 

They  paid  the  price  agreed  upon  and  started 
off  without  further  discussion.  Although  Wang 
the  Ninth  had  chattered  all  the  way  in  the  boat 
now  he  had  nothing  to  say. 

He  was  thinking  —  thinking  of  what  the  vil- 
lagers had  said  two  days  ago  about  the  country 
to  the  southeast.  This  was  the  robber  coun- 
try. He  did  not  dare  to  give  voice  to  his  sus- 
picions because  that  might  bring  the  whole  party 
to  a  halt. 

A  mile  or  two  further  on  a  small  green  snake 
slid  across  the  road  and  disappeared  into  the 
undergrowth. 

"  A  snake  crosses  the  road/'  he  cried.  "  There 
will  be  heavy  weather  soon." 

A  few  hundred  yards  farther  on  a  second  snake 


244  WANG    THE    NINTH 

crossed  the  road  going  so  rapidly  and  viciously 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  follow  with  the 
eyes. 

The  boy  opened  his  mouth  but  closed  it  with- 
out speaking.  Two  snakes  —  what  did  two 
snakes  mean?  It  was  something  unlucky  he  had 
once  heard;  but  he  never  thought  that  it  might 
simply  come  from  the  undergrowth  being  dis- 
turbed by  hidden  feet.  He  was  trying  to  think 
of  the  explanation  —  he  knew  there  was  an  ex- 
planation—  when  the  warning  was  made  clear. 
A  half-a-dozen  men,  with  hideous  painted  masks 
over  their  faces,  leaped  out  of  the  growing  grain 
and  fired  from  their  hips.  Crack,  crack,  crack 
went  the  shots.  Wang  the  Ninth,  stricken  with 
alarm,  threw  himself  instinctively  on  the  ground, 
and  wriggled  into  the  kaoliang  amidst  the  cries 
and  groans  of  the  others  who  never  left  the 
road. 

He  was  alone  once  more  —  in  the  growing 
grain  —  perhaps  twenty  miles  from  his  destina- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

HE  spent  a  horrible  night.  Fear  gained 
him  completely,  and  he  sobbed  to  him- 
self for  many  hours  as  he  wandered 
in  the  blackness  of  the  fields. 

He  did  not  know  whether  his  companions  had 
been  killed  or  whether  they  had  been  merely 
robbed  and  left  on  the  roadside;  but  their  des- 
pairing cries  sounded  in  his  ears  unendingly, 
and  he  seemed  to  hear  the  vicious  whistle  of  the 
bullets  and  to  feel  their  wounds.  A  great  com- 
passion for  the  old  wool-dealer  who  had  been 
kind  to  him  wrung  his  heart  so  acutely  that  sev- 
eral times  he  cried  aloud. .  He  sat  down  only  to 
start  up  again  —  expecting  to  see  phantom 
shapes,  tormented  with  the  fear  that  the  wool- 
dealers'  distressed  spirits  would  for  ever  haunt 
him.  Not  until  day  was  dawning  did  he  care  to 
lie  down  and  even  then  he  knew  no  sleep. 

He  tried  to  calculate  how  many  days  had 
passed  since  he  had  left  the  capital  —  was  it  six, 
seven  or  eight?  And  he  was  still  wrestling  with 
the  problem,  still  attempting  to  thrust  himself 

245 


246  WANG   THE    NINTH 

through  obstacles  which  he  did  not  understand. 
Sometimes  he  wondered  why  he  had  attempted 
this  task.  It  was  too  big  for  a  boy;  yet  he  had 
been  told  that  that  was  just  the  reason  why  he 
might  succeed.  He  wondered  why  he  did  not 
give  it  up :  he  was  not  bound  to  go  on.  No  one 
could  possibly  know  what  he  did.  Now  he  re- 
membered how  the  inn-servant,  when  he  was 
paid  for  a  certain  service,  merely  went  and  sat 
down  in  a  lonely  spot.  Then,  when  he  thought 
that  thought  anger  gained  him.  His  doggedness 
and  his  loyalty  were  aroused.  He  was  not  a 
mean  fellow  like  that  inn-servant.  He  would 
not  turn  back  or  surrender. 

He  must  have  dozed  during  these  hours  of 
dawn;  for  he  awoke  to  find  himself  shivering 
under  a  fine  rain  which  dripped  through  the 
grain  and  covered  his  face  with  dew.  Rousing 
himself,  he  sat  up  and  began  munching  some 
flour-cakes  he  still  had  with  him.  Now  he  made 
a  vow  that  that  very  day  he  would  push  through 
and  encounter  his  destiny  cost  what  it  might. 
Tightening  his  belt  he  started  off. 

As  he  scrambled  through  the  fields  he  became 
gradually  aware  of  a  low  thunder  on  the  horizon. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  247 

The  sound  puzzled  him  for  the  rain  had  stopped 
and  the  sun  had  come  out  from  behind  the  clouds 
and  it  was  fair  weather  and  very  hot.  And  yet 
as  he  walked  this  thunder  increased  —  not 
slowly  but  very  rapidly.  At  length  he  paused 
to  listen. 

" Shen-mo  (what  is  it),"  he  exclaimed  aloud 
in  his  perplexity,  impelled  to  talk  to  relieve  him- 
self, and  wondering  whether  the  tiny  paper  wad 
in  one  ear  was  spoiling  his  hearing. 

Then  at  last  he  struck  his  hands  together  and 
babbled  madly  in  his  excitement. 

" Ta-p'ao  (big  guns)/'  he  shouted.  "They 
are  coming,  they  are  coming !  " 

He  ran  now  until  he  was  completely  out  of 
breath,  changing  his  run  to  a  fast  walk  and  then 
back  to  a  trot  as  soon  as  he  could. 

In  this  frantic  way  he  covered  several  miles, 
his  face  beaded  with  perspiration.  The  air  was 
shaking  with  the  concussions  now  and  his  ex* 
citement  was  so  great  that  he  trembled  from 
head  to  foot.  He  knew  it  was  the  foreign  army 
exploding  in  wrath  at  finding  its  path  barred :  he 
pictured  to  himself  the  rival  soldiery  struggling 
together.  .  .  . 


248  WANG    THE    NINTH 

He  ran  on  directly  towards  the  growing 
sounds.  He  was  on  the  main  road  now  and  the 
dry  alkali  soil,  being  unsuitable  for  any  kind  of 
cultivation,  opened  up  in  great  vistas  of  space. 

At  length  he  saw  the  river  again  and  on  it 
boats,  many  boats,  loaded  with  people,  crossing 
from  one  bank  to  the  other. 

He  made  his  way  towards  them  pantingly. 
Almost  before  he  knew  it,  he  had  met  a  crowd  of 
men,  women,  children,  all  crying  and  talking  to- 
gether, driven  in  front  of  the  rising  storm  like 
wild  animals  before  a  prairie-fire.  The  deserted 
countryside  was  giving  up  its  victims :  every  hid- 
ing-place was  being  emptied  by  this  approaching 
human  storm. 

He  did  not  stop  to  ask  questions:  he  ran  on 
towards  the  river.  The  boats  were  going  back- 
wards and  forwards  steadily  and  quickly,  the 
boatmen  working  like  madmen  to  save  the  mass 
of  women  and  children. 

He  waded  into  the  water  and  jumped  on  one 
boat  that  was  just  pushing  off  to  go  back  for 
more  people,  with  a  story  about  his  mother  who 
had  been  left  behind;  but  the  boatmen  never  so 
much  as  glanced  at  him.  Once  near  the  opposite 


WANG    THE    NINTH  249 

shore  he  jumped  knee-deep  into  the  water,  to 
avoid  the  oncoming  rush  of  people,  not  caring 
what  had  happened  as  long  as  he  got  through. 

In  the  village  above  the  river  there  was  not  a 
soul  —  every  living  thing  had  fled.  But  the 
long  deserted  street  seemed  garlanded  with  com- 
ing events.  The  air  was  pulsating  with  sound. 
He  could  hear  the  rattle  of  musketry,  very  fast 
and  hard.  He  clambered  up  a  high  bank  and 
found  that  he  overlooked  a  gaunt  plain.  It  was 
alive  with  tiny  little  figures  running  in  many 
directions.  For  long  he  waited  to  know  who 
they  were,  but  presently  there  was  a  big  jet  of 
smoke  and  flame  and  the  sound  of  an  angry  ex- 
plosion which  floated  across  to  him  slowly  and 
reluctantly.  The  foreign  army  was  throwing 
shell  on  to  the  plain :  the  running  men  were  his 
fellow-countrymen  fleeing  from  the  menace  of 
their  wrath. 

But  where  was  the  foreign  army  —  where? 

He  began  running  along  towards  the  edge  of 
the  plain.  Very  soon  he  tumbled  over  two  men 
in  red  and  blue  tunics,  with  dishevelled  queues, 
who  were  splotched  with  blood,  lying  on  the 
ground  as  if  they  were  held  down  by  an  iron 


250 

hand.  As  he  ran  he  could  hear  their  voices  wail- 
ing "Ckiu-ming,  chiu-ming  (save  our  lives)  "; 
but  he  never  paused. 

Now  he  was  well  on  to  the  plain.  All  the  run- 
ning men  had  disappeared.  A  few  motionless 
dots  showed  where  some  others  had  fallen  but 
apart  from  that  all  was  bare.  The  hidden  army 
must  have  eyes  that  could  see ;  for  the  guns  had 
ceased  magically  and  the  musketry  rattle  too. 
A  great  emptiness  filled  heaven  and  earth  and 
his  fear  grew  so  that  once  again  his  knees  shook. 

He  fell  on  his  knees. 

On  his  knees  he  waited  and  then  he  saw.  Men 
on  horses  had  suddenly  appeared  riding  fast  with 
long  lances  in  their  hands,  streaming  on  to  the 
plain  in  irregular  streams.  From  a  very  great 
distance  he  saw  that  their  faces  were  black,  for 
their  brown  turbans  showed  that  and  also  their 
hands  and  arms.  The  foreign  army  had  devils 
in  league  with  them  —  all  the  tales  of  his  child- 
hood came  back  to  him. 

And  yet  he  did  not  move  —  he  made  no  move- 
ment save  to  kowtow  for  mercy  with  his  head. 
But  when  the  black  horsemen  caught  sight  of 
him,  they  lowered  their  lances  and  rode  at  him 


WANG    THE    NINTH  251 

playfully,  accepting  his  surrender  by  reining  in 
and  doing  him  no  hurt.  Then  it  was  that  he 
was  inspired  and  began  repeating  incessantly, 
with  great  explanatory  waves  of  the  hands  back 
to  where  he  had  come  from,  "he  will  go,"  pro- 
nouncing the  remembered  words  in  the  native 
way,  Hei  wei  ko,  which  made  them  a  strangely 
changed  English. 

The  troopers,  vastly  puzzled,  clustered  round 
him,  talking  fast  to  one  another  in  an  unknown 
language.  They  suspected  something  of  the 
truth  but  were  not  sure.  India  looked  at  China 
with  inquiring  eyes. 

He  stood  up. 

"Hei  wei  ko"  he  repeated  more  and  more  in- 
sistently, waving  back  with  his  hand  to  where 
he  had  come  from  and  pointing  at  them  insis- 
tently to  show  that  he  sought  their  aid.  Then, 
with  a  swift  movement,  he  took  a  thorn  he  had 
threaded  unto  his  tunic  out  and  sat  again  on  the 
ground  and  picked  at  his  ear,  very  carefully, 
slowly  forcing  out  the  tiny  ball  of  tissue-paper. 

The  mob  of  horsemen  watched  him  breath- 
lessly. East  watched  East  and  wondered 
whether  it  was  a  miracle  since  miracles  are 


252  WANG   THE    NINTH 

known  by  word  of  mouth  to  all  as  well  as  found 
in  books.  But  when  he  had  the  tiny  ball  of 
tissue-paper  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and 
spread  it  out  and  showed  them  the  English  writ- 
ing on  it,  they  gave  a  great  shout  of  understand- 
ing. Almost  before  he  knew  it  one  horseman 
had  spurred  his  horse  alongside  him  and  shift- 
ing his  lance,  had  slung  him  up  behind  him  with 
a  gingle  powerful  swing.  Now  they  called  to 
him  and  told  him  with  signs  to  hold  on  tightly. 
With  the  boy  clasping  him  round  the  waist,  the 
horseman  began  galloping  back  in  a  mad  gallop. 
Beyond  the  edge  of  the  gaunt  plain,  through 
the  growing  grain,  columns  of  the  foreign  army 
were  marching  —  many  men,  white  men  as  well 
as  black  men  in  such  an  array  as  the  boy  had 
never  seen  before.  There  were  thick  columns  of 
them,  raising  choking  dust  as  they  marched. 
The  horseman  galloped  on  calling  something  as 
he  passed  and  causing  all  eyes  to  turn.  He  made 
straight  for  a  mounted  group  preceded  by  a  man 
with  a  small  flag.  Wang  the  Ninth  knew  that 
they  were  important  men  for  the  oldest  had  white 
hair.  There,  reining  in  abruptly  the  trooper  be- 
gan his  story,  pointing  to  the  boy  who  had 


WANG    THE    NINTH  253 

slipped  to  the  ground,  and  who  was  gazing  at 
them  all  as  if  in  a  dream. 

Then  the  oldest  one,  who  had  quite  white  hair, 
called  to  him  and  when  he  had  received  the  tiny 
piece  of  paper,  he  read  it  and  passed  it  to  the 
others  with  much  talk,  finally  putting  his  hand 
into  his  pocket  and  giving  the  boy  a  gold  coin. 

Wang  the  Ninth  took  it  with  an  awe-struck  ex- 
pression. He  had  never  seen  gold  before;  he 
fingered  it  with  eyes  round  with  surprise.  He 
had  heard  that  it  was  worth  twenty  or  thirty 
times  the  value  of  silver. 

And  before  he  had  recovered  from  this,  and 
while  the  others  were  passing  the  paper  from 
hand  to  hand,  a  foreigner,  who  could  speak  his 
language  appeared  and  commenced  questioning 
him  and  writing  down  his  answers.  Every  one 
listened  as  if  they  could  not  hear  enough.  All 
the  adventures  he  had  passed  through  he  re- 
counted, speakly  quickly  and  volubly,  the 
foreigner  who  spoke  his  language  translating. 
Later  he  told  him  that  it  had  been  reported  for 
many  days  that  all  the  foreigners  in  the  capital 
had  been  killed,  and  that  therefore  his  message 
had  lifted  a  great  load  from  their  hearts.  For 


254  WANG   THE    NINTH 

although  they  were  now  advancing  as  fast  as 
possible  a  great  army  in  a  hostile  country  could 
only  advance  slowly. 

Presently  he  was  given  food  and  water,  and 
he  walked  alongside  the  horse  of  the  great  gen- 
eral into  the  village  many  eyes  watching  him,  the 
news  having  passed  far  and  wide  that  he  was  the 
messenger  who  had  at  last  arrived,  having  done 
a  great  feat  although  he  was  but  a  small  boy. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

SO  it  went  on  for  several  days  with  the  dust 
of  the  marching  army  thick  round  him. 
He  began  to  distinguish  the  many  nation- 
alities in  this  great  throng,  and  to  realize  that 
there  were  large  differences  which  at  first  he  had 
not  understood.  He  found  that  all  these  men, 
whom  his  fellow-countrymen  lumped  together  in- 
discriminately in  the  opprobrious  epithet  of 
devils,  marched  separately.  There  were  stories 
of  open  disagreements  which  reached  him  in 
whispers  from  the  native  carriers  and  carters 
who  had  been  impressed  into  their  service  and 
who  were  marching  with  the  baggage. 

"  They  do  not  speak  the  same  language,"  he 
heard  declared  again  and  again.  "  Sometimes 
we  must  rise  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  start 
suddenly  because  the  others  have  gone  ahead, 
breaking  their  word.  Thus  there  is  confusion 
and  counter-orders,  and  we  do  not  know  how  it 
will  end." 

To  all  this  he  nodded  his  head  wisely  and  re- 
plied : — 

255 


256  WANG    THE    NINTH 

"  It  is  always  like  that.  I,  who  have  served 
them  for  a  year  and  more,  know  well.  The  most 
violent  lead  this  way  —  the  others  follow 
obediently.  There  is  not  long  discussion  as  with 
us,  each  point  being  duly  considered.  With 
them  it  is  the  quick  plan  that  is  found  most  de- 
sirable." 

All  the  carriers  were  closely  guarded  because 
many  of  them  had  tried  to  escape.  They  lived 
in  constant  fear  of  battles,  believing  that  all  of 
them  would  be  killed.  Whenever  there  was  the 
sound  of  distant  firing  they  became  concerned 
saying  "  Now  our  fate  will  soon  be  decided." 
In  this  manner  did  the  army  march  on. 

On  the  fourth  day  Wang  the  Ninth  was  called 
before  the  great  general  by  the  foreigner  who 
spoke  his  language;  and  he  went  a  little  re- 
luctantly because  he  feared  what  was  coming. 
There  was  a  large  gathering  of  officers  in  many 
different  uniforms,  all  talking  earnestly  together 
under  the  trees  because  of  the  heat.  He  knew 
from  the  drawings  and  plans  that  passed  from 
hand  to  hand  that  it  had  to  do  with  him  —  for 
that  was  the  way  it  had  happened  when  his  mas- 
ter had  sent  him  on  this  journey. 


WANG    THE    NIK  Til  257 

He  waited  patiently  his  eyes  following  every 
movement  and  trying  to  guess  what  it  was  about. 
The  old  general,  when  he  had  finished  discussing 
something,  turned  to  the  foreigner  who  spoke 
his  language  and  handed  him  a  piece  of  paper 
with  writing  on  it,  of  a  bigger  size  than  the  one 
he  had  brought.  Wang  the  Ninth  had  hoped 
that  this  might  not  come.  Now  he  was  sure  that 
this  was  the  answer  to  the  message  he  had  car- 
ried, and  that  he  would  have  to  go. 

The  interpreter  turned  to  him  and  made  this 
long  speech : 

"  Our  Governing  General  bids  me  tell  you  that 
he  has  sent  many  messages  during  the  past  weeks 
but  it  is  evident  from  the  paper  you  carried  that 
none  have  reached  their  destination.  Thus  of 
all  who  have  been  despatched  you  are  the  only 
one  who  has  been  successful.  Whether  the 
others  accepted  the  charge  for  the  money  pay- 
ment with  no  intention  of  forcing  their  way 
through,  or  whether  they  were  captured,  we  do 
not  know.  But  the  loss  of  messages  has  occa- 
sioned military  danger  and  therefore  plans  have 
been  changed :  for  in  our  messages  we  told  how 
we  would  advance  and  now  it  is  necessary  to 


258  WANG    THE    NINTH 

change  our  plans.  Our  general  hopes  that  you 
will  not  refuse  to  go  back  as  speedily  as  you 
came,  since  our  people  in  the  capital  may  lose 
heart  and  be  overpowered  unless  they  know  that 
we  shall  soon  arrive." 

The  boy  fumbled  with  his  hands. 

"  By  good  fortune  I  reached  you,"  he  said  at 
length,  "  but  it  is  not  certain  whether  this  good 
fortune  will  take  me  back.  That  I  can  travel 
quicker  than  the  army  is  not  to  be  believed." 
Thus  he  spoke  hoping  to  be  relieved  of  this  duty. 

The  interpreter  was  very  gentle  with  him  be- 
cause he  was  demanding  a  great  sacrifice.  He 
explained  every  point  carefully. 

"  It  is  true  the  army  is  now  advancing  fast," 
he  declared.  "  But  there  are  many  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  men  belonging  to  many  nations  and  it 
is  necessary  for  each  nation  to  be  consulted. 
Some  are  ready  to  proceed  more  quickly  than  the 
others  and  it  may  be  some  ten  days  before  we 
stand  in  front  of  the  walls  of  the  capital.  Then 
there  is  the  fighting  to  be  considered.  This  may 
greatly  delay  us.  It  is  true  we  have  so  far 
triumphed  easily.  But  the  future  is  ever  uncer- 
tain with  an  army.  You,  who  are  fleet  of  foot 


WANG   THE    NINTH  259 

may  easily  cover  the  distance,  in  three  days." 
"  It  is  not  so  easy,"  said  the  boy  now  frowning 
hard.  "  Eight  days  did  I  waste  in  overcoming 
obstacles  to  reach  you.  Now  although  the  dis- 
tance is  less  all  the  roads  are  watched  and  full 
of  soldiers.  Much  will  I  do  for  my  master;  but 
should  I  now  be  captured  there  will  be  no  mercy 
for  me  and  I  shall  die  the  slow  death." 

"Listen,"  rejoined  the  young  man.  "We 
know  that  careful  watch  is  being  kept,  and  that 
the  enemy  has  many  scouts  and  spies  even  march- 
ing with  us.  But  for  all  this  we  have  a  plan. 
We  will  send  you  by  horse  to  the  northwest 
with  some  horsemen.  I  myself  will  go  too  —  so 
that  you  can  approach  the  capital  by  an  unac- 
customed road  where  there  will  be  less  danger. 
Already  have  we  found  that  only  the  direct  roads 
are  fortified :  twenty  miles  to  the  north  the  coun- 
try is  undisturbed  and  unguarded.  This  our 
horsemen  have  reported  to  us." 

He  continued  explaining.  For  many  minutes 
he  talked,  showing  each  point  and  how  easy  it 
would  be;  but  all  the  time  that  he  was  talking 
Wang  the  Ninth  was  frowning  because  fear  had 
gained  him. 


260  WANG   THE    NINTH 

"  If  it  must  be,  it  must  be,"  he  said,  consenting 
at  length,  with  reluctance  in  his  manner.  "  My 
master  shall  not  say  that  I  failed  him.  But  I 
am  afraid  —  great  fear  has  gained  me." 

The  young  man  laughed. 

"  That  is  not  true  fear.  That  is  but  hesita- 
tion and  doubt.  Who  will  face  danger  willingly 
and  not  hesitate  if  by  another  way  there  is 
safety?  But  now  it  is  a  question  of  great  mo- 
ment. All  ask  your  help." 

The  boy  flushed. 

"  I  shall  go,"  he  said  abruptly. 

Now  the  general  came  to  him,  and  patted  him 
on  the  shoulder  as  he  stood  there  and  spoke  in 
his  own  language  commending  him,  so  the  inter- 
preter declared,  and  great  pride  filled  him.  Yet 
afterwards  forebodings  returned  to  him;  and  he 
sat  down  in  the  fields  with  the  message  which 
had  been  given  him  in  his  belt,  and  his  eyes  look- 
ing into  the  distance. 

That  afternoon  the  young  man  rode  for  many 
miles  with  him  up  behind  a  trooper  and  with 
other  horsemen  accompanying  them.  They  went 
at  a  gallop  far  to  the  north.  Only  when  the 
sunlight  was  gone  did  they  set  him  down  on  a 


WANG    THE    NINTH  261 

rutted  road  that  coiled  away  to  the  southwest. 
Quite  near  now  were  hills  and  mountains. 

"  From  here  it  is  exactly  120  li  —  forty  miles 
-to  the  nearest  Gate  of  the  capital,"  declared 
the  young  man  in  his  fluent  vernacular.  "  It 
would  be  possible  in  a  single  day  to  walk 
thither.  But  allow  five  days,  then  one  extra  day 
to  make  your  way  through  the  city  to  the  foreign 
quarter."  He  unslung  a  big  bag  of  blue  cloth. 
"  Here  is  sufficient  to  eat  —  here  is  food  for  six 
days  so  that  you  need  ask  no  one  for  assistance." 

The  boy  took  the  package.  There  was  a  set 
expression  on  his  face. 

"  I  am  ready,"  he  said  abruptly.  "  For  two 
hours  I  shall  travel.  Then  I  must  rest.  At 
dawn  I  start  again.  If  I  have  good  fortune  to- 
morrow I  shall  reach  the  city." 

He  scrambled  on  to  the  side-path  running 
along  the  edge  of  the  fields  of  millet,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  view. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THIS  time  his  emotions  were  different 
from  what  they  had  been  on  his  first 
lonely  journey.  Then  the  whole  world 
had  been  spread  before  him  like  some  feast,  and 
his  flight  through  danger  had  possessed  a  sacrifi- 
cial quality.  The  freedom  after  the  days  of  con- 
finement with  the  sound  of  dropping  rifle-fire  ever 
in  his  ears,  had  given  life  a  new  zest.  The  expe- 
rience had  been  wonderful.  The  fascination  of 
coming  upon  the  overwhelming  army  had  been 
like  a  dream  from  a  theatre.  Now,  however,  the 
feast  was  over.  He  had  exhausted  everything. 
He  knew  what  was  before  him,  just  as  he  knew 
what  was  behind  him. 

Yet  even  in  such  circumstances  his  sense  of 
duty  held  him  to  his  pledge.  The  Chinese  are 
like  that,  doing  exactly  what  they  undertake  to 
do,  in  spite  of  some  misconceptions  which  have 
lately  grown  up.  He  travelled  until  it  was  night 
—  slept  in  the  fields  —  rose  at  the  first  streak  of 
dawn  and  pushed  on  with  stubborn  energy  until 

262 


WANG   THE    NINTH  263 

he  was  exhausted.  Rubbing  his  tired  legs,  he 
wondered  whether  he  dared  enter  a  village  to 
find  out  exactly  where  he  was. 

The  country  had  become  strange  to  him  for  he 
had  travelled  northwards  along  the  curve  of  a 
vast  semi-circle.  Very  close  towards  the  west 
the  mountains  and  foot-hills  of  the  Mongolian 
Passes  now  frowned  down  on  him,  the  barren 
land  looking  purple  in  the  sunlight  which  poured 
over  the  mountain  brim.  Twice  he  had  seen 
trains  of  camels  pass  slowly  along  as  if  all  the 
world  were  at  peace.  But  warned  by  their 
clanking  bells,  each  time  he  had  hid  himself  until 
they  were  far  away.  Several  times,  too,  during 
that  day  he  had  also  seen  low  clouds  of  dust 
hanging  in  the  air  above  roadways;  but  even  his 
expert  eyes  could  not  tell  at  such  distances 
whether  the  dust  signified  flocks  of  sheed  or  cav- 
alcades of  bellicose  horsemen. 

He  had  had  too  many  narrow  escapes  to  wish 
to  risk  anything  more.  He  was  wandering  be- 
tween the  fringes  of  two  rival  armies  and  the 
prospect  was  uninviting.  He  feared  potential 
enemies;  there  were  potential  enemies  every- 
where; and  as  he  sat  and  rested  he  shook  his 


264  WANG    THE    NINTH 

head.  It  was  the  thought  that  he  was  doing 
what  the  other  messengers  had  failed  to  do  which 
was  the  most  disconcerting  thing  to  him. 

Why  had  the  others  not  done  what  they  had 
undertaken  to  do?  All  the  time  that  he  rested 
this  thought  recurred  to  him  with  ever  greater 
force.  Perhaps  there  was  some  secret  reason; 
they  knew  something  he  did  not  know.  Suspi- 
cion began  to  gain  him ;  for  suspicion  is  the  twin- 
brother  of  fear  and  the  twain  can  never  be  long 
separated. 

He  had  been  weak  to  accept  —  he  ought  to 
have  refused.  There  were  plenty  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen  with  the  advancing  army  who  could 
have  been  ordered  to  do  the  same  work.  To  go 
one  way  was  all  right  —  it  had  been  right  for 
him  to  obey  his  master  and  go  for  succour.  But 
to  come  back:  to  do  the  thing  twice  —  no.  .  .  . 

He  looked  to  the  right  —  he  looked  to  the  left ; 
and  angrily  he  rose  and  hitched  his  trousers 
higher  and  tightened  his  belt.  The  sun  had  gone 
down  behind  the  mountains  now,  and  the  per- 
spiration which  had  covered  his  body  had  fully 
dried.  Two  hours  more  and  it  would  be  pitch- 
dark  again  —  long  shadows  were  even  now  creep- 


WANG    THE    NINTH  265 

ing  into  the  mountain  hollows  and  making  them 
seem  blue-black. 

He  began  to  feel  lonely  at  the  prospect  of  an- 
other night  in  the  fields. 

Yet  he  started  off,  wondering  how  he  would 
dare  to  go  through  the  gates  of  the  capital  on 
the  morrow.  For  the  capital  was  not  more  than 
a  dozen  miles  away;  it  could  not  be  more  than 
that.  Soon  he  would  be  able  to  see  the  outline 
of  the  city  walls. 

Onward  he  went  now  passing  patches  growing 
Indian  corn ;  for  the  soil  had  become  too  arid  for 
anything  else  to  grow.  There  was  no  one  about 
in  the  fields  since  the  harvest  was  still  far  off; 
and  this  loneliness  preyed  on  him  more  and 
more. 

Onward  and  onward  he  went  in  the  on-coming 
dusk.  Then,  just  below  the  shoulder  of  the  hill 
which  he  was  rounding,  he  saw  something  which 
did  not  belong  to  the  landscape.  Presently  he 
made  out  quite  clearly  a  little  knot  of  people. 
They  seemed  to  him  to  be  standing  motionless,  as 
if  something  chained  them  to  the  spot  —  as  if 
something  had  caused  them  to  become  inanimate. 
That  at  once  attracted  his  attention. 


266  WANG    THE    NINTH 

Cautiously  he  approached,  keeping  near  a 
large  patch  of  Indian  corn  into  which  he  could 
run  if  there  were  any  indications  of  hostility. 
But  nobody  turned,  nobody  paid  the  slightest 
attention  to  him.  Fifteen  or  twenty  people  were 
standing  there  in  a  circle  gazing  at  something 
fixedly. 

He  approached  so  noiselessly  that  only  when 
he  was  a  short  distance  away  was  his  presence 
noticed.  Then  his  small,  slight  person  caused 
a  commotion  and  several  commenced  to  run 
away.  Only  when  they  saw  that  it  was  only  a 
boy  did  their  strange  panic  subside. 

It  was  necessary  for  him  to  push  his  way 
past  the  people  to  see.  With  his  eyes  wide  open 
from  emotion  he  suddenly  understood  what  it 
was. 

"  Ai-ai-ai! "  he  exclaimed  several  times  loudly 
and  involuntarily. 

A  man  had  been  buried  alive  in  the  earth  up 
to  his  neck  and  the  ground  stamped  in  round  his 
head.  He  was  quite  dead  now.  His  head, 
which  lolled  to  one  side,  and  his  glassy  eyes 
showed  that;  the  anguish  had  long  passed.  A 


WANG   THE    NINTH  267 

little  piece  of  paper,  with  one  big  character  writ- 
ten in  black  on  it,  was  stuck  on  a  millet-stalk  be- 
side him. 

For  a  full  minute  the  boy  gazed  silently  as  the 
others  were  doing,  awe-struck  and  yet  utterly 
fascinated.  For  death  is  like  that  in  the  East; 
it  seems  to  fascinate  the  people  because  of  its  un- 
utterable finality. 

"What  is  it  —  what  does  the  writing  say?" 
he  inquired  at  last  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  nudging 
the  man  next  to  him. 

The  man  turned: 

"  The  soldiers  caught  this  one  carrying  a  writ- 
ten message  from  the  foreign  devils  and  they 
buried  him  thus  so  that  he  might  die." 

Very  pale,  the  boy  waited  before  he  spoke 
again. 

"  Has  he  been  here  long?  "  he  inquired  at  last. 

"  Five  days.  Only  this  morning  did  the  sol- 
diers leave,  being  sure  that  he  was  dead." 

Then  silence  fell  on  the  group  again.  Several 
generations  had  passed  since  this  old  Tartar  tor- 
ture had  been  seen,  although  the  tradition  of  it 
still  lived  and  was  known  to  all. 


268  WANG    THE    NINTH 

The  boy  remained  there  after  all  had  gone 
without  a  movement  or  a  remark,  pretending 
that  he  was  absorbed  by  the  spectacle.  Then, 
when  he  was  quite  sure  that  he  was  alone,  with 
a  furious  gesture  he  pulled  up  the  little  stick 
decorated  with  the  cruel  character,  and  broke 
it  to  pieces.  Now  falling  on  his  knees,  he  be- 
gan heaping  the  earth  over  the  dead  man's  head. 
He  worked  quickly  with  his  naked  hands  which 
were  hurt  and  bruised  by  the  stony  soil,  but 
soon  he  had  made  a  little  mound  which  obliter- 
ated the  hideous  sight.  If  he  had  been  asked 
why  he  had  done  this  he  could  not  have  said. 
But  it  soothed  him  and  somehow  seemed  a  loyal 
and  profitable  action.  Then,  with  fear  in  his 
heart  he  hastened  off,  running  swiftly  in  spite 
of  the  darkness. 

As  he  ran  he  thought.  It  was  the  written 
message,  of  course,  which  had  betrayed  the  man. 
He  had  not  been  cunning  enough.  Wang  the 
Ninth,  with  a  sudden  movement,  pulled  out  the 
piece  of  paper  he  was  carrying  in  his  belt.  It 
was  too  big  to  do  anything  else  with  it.  Rolling 
it  up  tightly  he  suddenly  thrust  it  into  his  mouth, 
and  swallowed  it  down  with  a  gulp. 


>V  A  :s  G    THE    X  1  N  T  H  2G9 

He  sat  down  after  that  with  his  legs  wide 
apart,  wondering  whether  it  would  kill  him.  In 
a  country  where  suicide  by  the  method  of  swal- 
lowing is  common,  his  fear  was  not  strange.  He 
was  not  afraid  of  death  —  what  he  feared  was  the 
pain,  the  long  delay.  Mechanically  he  rubbed 
his  chest,  and  presently  all  discomfort  passed. 

"  It  has  gone  done,"  he  exclaimed,  rising  and 
taking  a  few  steps.  Then  he  thought  of  some- 
thing else,  and  sat  down  once  more.  Taking  off 
one  of  his  shoes  he  opened  the  lining  and  hid  the 
gold  coin  which  had  been  given  him.  Now  com- 
forted he  made  his  way  to  some  trees  and  curled 
himself  up  under  them  until  there  should  be  day- 
light once  more. 

Daylight  soon  came,  for  he  was  dog-tired  and 
slept  a  dreamless  sleep.  He  rose  yawningly  and 
listened  for  a  long  time  to  the  early  morning 
twittering  of  the  young  sparrows.  Then,  he 
felt  the  lining  of  his  shoe  to  assure  himself  of  the 
safety  of  his  precious  piece  of  gold.  Presently, 
in  a  very  leisurely  manner  he  started  off,  for  he 
did  not  wish  to  approach  the  city  until  the  busy 
midday  hours.  As  he  passed  over  a  piece  of  high 
ground,  in  the  distance  the  familiar  grey  walls 


270  WANG   THE    NINTH 

made  a  rim  of  black  on  the  horizon,  clearly 
marked  by  the  great  gate-towers.  The  sun  com- 
ing up  over  from  behind  intensified  the  outline. 
It  was  like  a  city  rising  out  of  the  desert,  and 
the  sight  so  fascinated  him  that  for  a  long  time 
he  stood  motionless  gazing  at  it. 

He  was  back  again.  .  .  . 

At  length  he  sat  down  and  ate  heartily  of  his 
supply,  of  food  which  was  not  yet  exhausted. 
Then,  going  into  a  vegetable-garden,  he  begged 
a  drink  of  water  from  an  old  man  who  was  work- 
ing over  some  cabbages  and  raising  water  by 
winding  up  buckets  from  a  shallow  well.  From 
him  he  learnt  that  it  had  been  quite  quiet  in  this 
district  for  many  days.  There  had  been  no  sol- 
diers or  marauders. 

"It  is  said,  however,  that  the  foreign  devils 
are  coming,"  concluded  the  old  man.  "  Al- 
though victories  are  reported  against  them  it  is 
said  that  they  continue  to  advance.  It  is  even 
said  that  they  are  determined  to  enter  the  cap- 
ital. Where  do  you  go?  " 

"  I  must  enter  the  city,"  remarked  the  boy. 
"  It  is  family  affairs  which  force  me  to  travel. 
Otherwise  I  would  run  far  and  hide." 


WANG    THE    NINTH  271 

The  old  man  shook  his  head  and  bent  down 
again  over  his  cabbages. 

"  Some  run  in  one  direction  and  some  in  an- 
other," he  declared  in  a  rambling  way.  "  But  I 
being  old  stay  to  meet  my  fate.  As  for  the  city 
who  can  tell.  The  Sword  Society  has  been 
wholly  suppressed,  it  is  said;  yet  our  soldiery 
are  every  whit  as  bad." 

They  talked  in  this  strain  for  many  minutes 
only  mentioning  the  outward  and  visible  things 
in  the  manner  of  people  who  labour;  and  pres- 
ently the  boy  tramped  away  down  the  dusty  road. 

He  wondered  whether  there  was  any  firing 
now;  he  wondered  whether  he  would  find  things 
in  the  foreign  quarter  as  he  had  left  them.  He 
had  been  gone  only  fourteen  days  —  it  would  be 
fourteen  days  exactly  when  night  fell. 

It  seemed  to  be  quite  peaceful.  Not  a  sound 
from  big  guns.  Once,  as  he  thought  of  it,  a 
great  chill  struck  into  his  heart.  Supposing  the 
resistance  had  been  overcome.  ...  It  seemed 
impossible.  For  the  rumours  of  that  would 
have  reached  everywhere  with  lightning  speed; 
the  old  man  with  the  cabbages  would  have  known 
everything  about  it. 


272  WANG    THE    NINTH 

He  was  not  very  far  off  from  the  walls  now  — 
not  more  than  three  or  four  miles.  He  could 
see  the  end  of  one  of  the  suburbs  beyond  the 
walls:  he  picked  out  the  landmarks  unerringly. 

He  headed  for  that  direction. 

In  the  afternoon  he  reached  the  suburb.  He 
strolled  into  it  casually  trying  to  attach  himself 
to  some  one  as  a  protection  but  finding  no  one 
about.  It  was  baking  hot:  there  was  no  breeze 
at  all.  That  was  why  some  triangular  banners 
escaped  his  attention,  since  their  folds  hung  so 
limp  that  there  was  nothing  of  their  colouring 
to  be  seen.  But  his  eye  caught  the  blue  tents  be- 
fore it  was  too  late;  and  he  murmured  ying-pan 
(a  camp)  to  himself  and  lay  down  as  if  to  sleep. 

He  crawled  back  for  a  long  time  until  the 
blue  tents  were  mixed  with  the  landscape.  Then 
he  began  walking  again. 

He  must  make  another  detour,  bearing  due 
north. 

By  nightfall  he  suddenly  realized  that  he  was 
on  the  long  road  leading  to  his  own  gateway  — 
the  gateway  of  his  youth  —  the  city  gate  round 
which  he  had  so  long  played. 


WANG    THE    NINTH  273 

"  Ai-ya! "  he  exclaimed  full  of  emotion,  think- 
ing of  how  his  father  had  died  and  how  his  life 
had  been  changed  by  that.  Then  he  remembered 
the  old  soothsayer's  prediction. 

.  .  .  "  Keng-tzu,  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  the 
emperor."  It  had  come  just  as  had  been  fore- 
ordained: the  old  man  had  read  the  signs  cor- 
rectly. Everything  from  over  the  water  had  in- 
fluenced him ;  unaccustomed  things  had  come  his 
way. 

The  gates  were  closed  now.  He  knew  it  was 
too  late  to  attempt  to  enter.  Now  an  idea  en- 
tered his  head,  a  fantastic  idea  but  one  which 
he  was  determined  to  execute.  Without  haste 
he  left  the  street  of  his  youth ;  cut  through  half- 
forgotten  shortcuts;  and  at  length  reached  the 
Wall  where  he  had  smuggled  wine  with  the  wine 
smugglers  years  before. 

The  next  morning  he  scaled  the  city  wall  with 
less  confidence  than  he  used  to  possess,  and  he 
noticed  the  fact.  So  instead  of  making  the  per- 
ilous descent,  he  crept  to  the  nearest  ramp  and 
made  his  way  down  without  danger  since  all  the 
guard-houses  were  now  deserted. 


274  WANG    THE    NINTH 

He  drew  a  deep  breath.  He  was  at  last  in  the 
city  again  —  about  four  miles  from  his  destina- 
tion. 

In  the  city  there  was  dead  quiet. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

IT  was  too  early  for  there  to  be  much  move- 
ment in  the  streets ;  yet  his  expert  ragamuf- 
fin eyes  picked  up  signs  which  comforted 
him.     He    saw    wheelbarrows    full    of    country 
produce  moving  slowly  under  cover  of  the  city 
wall,  and  there  were  vendors  laden  with  empty 
baskets  going  to  the  markets  to  replenish  their 
stocks. 

He  was  on  perfectly  familiar  ground.  Cau- 
tiously he  approached  a  roadway  leading  to  one 
of  the  northern  gates.  It  was  his  intention  to 
board,  if  possible,  one  of  the  passenger-carts  ply- 
ing between  the  northern  and  southern  limits 
of  the  city,  and  by  mixing  himself  among  city 
folks  to  mask  his  identity.  He  had  already 
thrown  away  his  staff  the  night  before.  Now  he 
rolled  up  the  blue  bundle  which  had  contained 
his  food  and  dropped  it.  Then  he  took  the  few 
small  silver  coins  he  had  and  hid  them  in  a 
crevice  in  the  city  wall,  which  he  marked  care- 
fully so  that  he  could  one  day  recover  his  prop- 
erty —  if  he  survived. 

275 


276  WANG    THE    NINTH 

He  had  one  small  string  of  holed  copper  coins 
left  —  just  enough  for  a  purchase  or  two  and 
for  his  fare  on  the  passenger-cart.  Now  having 
done  everything  which  his  fertile  brain  could 
suggest  he  hastened  on,  swinging  his  arms  care- 
lessly. 

The  fact  that  his  tongue  moistened  his  lips 
continually  was  the  only  sign  of  excitement  he 
disclosed.  His  eyes,  which  were  blood-shot 
from  over-exposure  in  the  sun,  betrayed  nothing 
at  all.  They  were  alert  but  not  over-anxious. 
They  looked  out  of  his  strong  ugly  face  firmly 
and  full  of  resolution,  as  if  the  world  were  an 
easy  place  to  conquer. 

Half-a-mile  farther  on  he  met  a  tattered  fel- 
low with  a  small  basket  under  his  arm  who  was 
selling  miserable-looking  plums.  He  bought 
some  more  for  the  sake  of  the  companionship  and 
for  the  conversation  which  he  might  have  than 
for  anything  else.  But  the  man  knew  very  little 
save  that  it  was  dangerous  everywhere  in  the 
city,  and  that  poverty  was  the  only  sure  buckler. 
There  had  been  very  heavy  firing  the  day  before : 
the  foreign  devils  were  still  alive  and  shooting 
back  he  asserted.  He  also  declared  that  there 


WANG    THE   NINTH  277 

was  a  church  full  of  them  not  more  than  a  mile 
or  so  away  who  had  had  the  audacity  to  blow 
up  a  whole  camp  of  soldiers  it,  was  said. 

"  It  is  more  and  more  dangerous,"  grumbled 
the  man.  "As  for  your  finding  a  seat  in  any 
passenger-cart,  that  is  not  to  be  thought  of. 
None  with  money  dare  to  move.  How  should 
carts  ply  for  the  moneyless !  " 

"  Then  I  must  walk,"  said  the  boy,  "  I  go  to 
find  my  relatives  near  the  Hata  gate." 

He  moved  on  —  very  deliberately. 

A  few  shops  of  the  poorer  variety  had  now 
taken  down  their  shutters.  He  noticed  that  the 
coffin-shops  were  open.  But  there  were  few  peo- 
ple about,  and  even  the  main  streets  had  a 
solemn  and  deserted  appearance.  Fortunately 
there  were  no  soldiers  —  the  plum-seller  had 
said  that  they  were  being  all  drawn  out  of  the 
city  to  meet  some  coming  attack. 

At  length  he  passed  under  the  shadow  of  the 
great  Drum  Tower  which  is  right  in  the  middle 
of  the  city  and  stands  at  the  four  cross  roads. 
Here  were  soldiers.  There  were  many  of  them 
aloft  in  this  ancient  work,  standing  in  a  line  and 
gazing  towards  the  south. 


278  WANG    THE    NINTH 

He  hastened  on,  not  daring  to  linger  or  to 
inquire  what  it  might  be. 

Presently  the  distant  monotonous  detonation 
of  rifles  fell  on  his  ear.  Firing  was  evidently  go- 
ing on  as  usual:  the  foreign  quarter  was  being 
besieged  in  the  same  way.  Perhaps  the  soldiers 
had  wind  of  some  development  and  were  watch- 
ing for  it. 

It  took  him  the  best  part  of  an  hour  to  reach 
a  point  where  in  the  dim  distance  he  could  see 
the  Hata  Gate.  Now  as  he  looked  there  was  a 
flash,  and  later  a  long  rumbling  detonation 
which  mixed  with  the  cracking  of  rifles.  They 
were  firing  cannon  from  this  elevated  point :  that 
was  what  the  soldiers  on  the  Drum  Tower  were 
watching. 

People  were  walking  here,  forced  out  of  doors 
to  get  their  daily  supply  of  food.  All  wore 
hunted  expressions,  and  the  oldest  clothes.  He 
knew  from  this  that  the  soldiers  robbed  those 
who  were  decently  attired. 

Later  a  hiss  in  the  air  made  him  start,  and 
then  a  spent  bullet  kicked  up  the  dust  a  few 
yards  in  front  of  him.  It  was  getting  dangerous, 


WANG    THE    NINTH  279 

yes ;  very  dangerous  as  he  approached  the  battle- 
ground of  the  city. 

Now  he  kept  close  to  the  line  of  shops  as  the 
others  were  doing.  But  there  were  fewer  and 
fewer  people  abroad  the  further  south  he  went; 
and  presently  he  saw  a  dense  encampment  of 
blue  tents. 

This  must  be  a  headquarters  —  there  were 
ever  so  many  soldiers  about  and  camp-suttlers 
were  coming  and  going  with  loads  of  food. 

Quickly  he  went  down  a  side  street  and  tried 
to  work  his  way  round.  But  when  he  came  out 
again  on  the  main  thoroughfare  there  in  front 
of  him  was  another  encampment  —  this  time  a 
camp  built  of  matting. 

He  ground  his  teeth  impotently  —  these  tor- 
toises were  everywhere.  .  .  . 

One  of  the  soldiers  came  suddenly  and  caught 
him  by  the  neck  whilst  he  was  gazing  at  them 
and  forced  him  to  carry  a  heavy  load  of  kindling- 
wood.  He  undertook  the  task  willingly  as  it 
gave  him  an  excuse  to  linger.  But  his  satisfac- 
tion was  short-lived ;  for  he  had  hardly  set  down 
the  load  when  another  soldier  armed  with  a  rifle 


280  WANG    THE    NINTH 

struck  him  brutally  with  the  butt  and  told  him 
to  be  off. 

The  blow  raised  in  him  deep  hatred.  With  the 
jeers  echoing  in  his  ears  long  after  they  had 
ceased,  he  made  his  way  sullenly  down  the  back- 
streets. 

It  was  the  rage  in  his  heart  which  was  his 
undoing.  For  once  again  he  came  out  on  the 
main  thoroughfare  and  stood  gazing  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  foreign  quarter  which  was  less  than 
half  a  mile  away,  a  half-mile  of  loopholed  houses 
and  hidden  barricades  which  he  was  powerless 
to  traverse.  This  murderous  warfare  had  given 
the  locality  a  ruined  look.  Weeds  and  grass  had 
sprung  everywhere;  close  to  him  there  was  a 
patch  of  rank  weeks  almost  as  tall  as  a  man. 

The  monotonous  cracking  of  rifles  sounded  oc- 
casionally in  the  distance,  but  the  cannon  on  the 
gateway  had  become  silent.  For  the  morning 
was  advancing  and  the  first  energy  of  the  day 
had  evaporated. 

He  stood  there,  with  his  back  against  a  shut- 
tered shop,  wondering  how  he  should  manage  to 
force  his  way  through  that  half-mile.  He  be- 
came convinced  that  this  was  the  wrong  road  to 


WANG   THE    NINTH  281 

take;  there  were  too  many  houses  and  too  many 
traps.  He  began  moving  off.  But  as  he  did  so 
he  fell  in  with  some  soldiers  who  were  wander- 
ing listlessly  about,  seeking  pickings  in  the 
looted  shops. 

They  cried  to  him  asking  him  what  he  was  do- 
ing. He  answered  insolently  that  he,  too,  was 
seeking  what  he  could;  and  after  that  they  cap- 
tured him.  Tying  his  hands  behind  him,  they 
struck  at  him  until  he  wept ;  and  then  to  humili- 
ate him  they  tore  off  his  coat  and  shoes. 

One  man  took  the  shoes  jeeringly  and  held 
them  up,  and  said  to  the  others  that  he  would 
hurl  them  where  they  would  be  lost.  But  as  he 
did  so,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  something. 
He  stopped  talking;  pushed  his  fingers  in  the 
lining  of  one  shoe;  and,  after  a  short  pause, 
pulled  out  the  gold  coin  which  had  been  so  care- 
fully hidden. 

"  Gold,"  he  cried  excitedly  as  he  scrutinized  it 
and  rubbed  it,  "  a  piece  of  foreign-gold !  " 

They  cross-examined  the  boy  and  beat  him 
again  after  that,  but  he  would  confess  nothing 
about  foreigners.  He  said  he  had  looted  the 
piece  of  foreign  money  from  a  man  who  must 


282  WANG    THE    NINTH 

have  stolen  it.  Then  they  took  him  up  to  their 
Commander,  who  was  the  commander  on  the 
great  gateway  with  the  cannon,  and  said  that 
they  had  caught  a  spy ;  for  this  must  surely  be  a 
spy  since  he  could  give  no  clear  account  of  him- 
self. They  detailed  the  manner  of  their  cap- 
ture with  a  wealth  of  detail  —  adding  details 
that  were  not  true  —  and  the  Commander  told 
them  to  do  as  they  pleased  with  him.  So  they 
tied  him  there  in  front  of  their  barricade,  bare- 
headed and  barechested,  up  there  on  the  city 
wall,  where  the  foreigners'  bullets  would  surely 
find  him,  they  told  him,  when  their  fire  opened 
on  the  gun-position  as  it  did  every  night. 

The  foreigners  found  him  like  that  that  very 
night  when  they  executed  their  unexpected  sortie 
in  the  dark  against  the  guns  that  had  been 
posted  at  the  gateway  and  had  annoyed  them  for 
several  days.  By  a  miracle  he  was  not  bayon- 
etted.  Providence  protected  him  to  the  end. 
He  was  half  carried,  half-led  by  the  sortie-party 
down  to  the  foreign  quarter,  a  great  excitement 
filling  them.  For  there  were  those  who  could 
speak  to  him  in  his  own  language,  and  they 


WANG    THE    NINTH  283 

speedily  knew  who  he  was  since  he  talked  vocif- 
erously and  unendingly,  telling  all  he  had  suf- 
fered. As  in  dream  he  saw  his  red-bearded  mas- 
ter emerge  out  of  the  darkness  and  come  towards 
him  with  loud  exclamations  and  great  strides. 
But  to  him  he  merely  said  respectfully :  "  Your 
Honour,  I  have  returned;  but  the  message  the 
great  army  gave  me  is  inside  me  because  it  was 
too  dangerous  to  carry  and  I  swallowed  it,  and 
by  your  blessing  I  shall  now  die  a  natural 
death." 


THE   END 


A     000129510     4 


